CPB office raided for ‘violating’ emergency

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Police in their first action against the violation of state of emergency provisions raided the office of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) yesterday and arrested three members of its student wing in connection with holding a rally and bringing out a procession.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Paltan Police Station Mahfuz Alam told The Daily Star, “The three men were arrested in connection with holding a rally during a state of emergency, as holding rallies or bringing out processions are banned under the state of emergency.”

However, a home ministry source said despite the proclamation of the state of emergency ordinance, no rule has yet been formulated allowing such arrests to be made. A rule has to be issued before arrests can be made under the ordinance, the source added.

CPB leaders claimed they shortened their rally at Muktangon in the capital yesterday after OC Mahfuz Alam asked them not to hold a rally during the state of emergency.

It was the first public political rally to be held since the state of emergency was declared last Thursday.

The CPB, earlier, brought out a small procession heading for the Muktangon rally from their office at Paltan intersection, which is around 60 metres away from Muktangon.

Ahsan Habib Lablu, CPB’s central committee member, told The Daily Star that they stopped the rally’s proceedings immediately after the OC asked them to and started heading back to their Paltan office.

“They [police] raided our office when some members of our front organisations were leaving the office,” Lablu added.

He said the police threatened them with arrest if they asked any questions when he and other CPB leaders asked the police why the three had been arrested.

A case was filed with Paltan Police Station last evening in this regard.

The three arrested men are Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU) President Shamsul Alam Shajjan, Jahangirnagar University BCU Convener Kallal Banik and former BCU vice-president Biplab Saha, who is also an employee of Transparency International, Bangladesh.

CPB General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim told The Daily Star last night, “The authorities concerned should look out for certain quarters trying to take advantage by provoking.”

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