10 arrests with Trump‍‍`s photo, placards: DMP

Ten people were arrested in Dhaka on Saturday night for trying to hold an illegal rally. 

The group was carrying placards featuring Donald Trump, the newly elected U.S. president, as they attempted to organize a protest in the city.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed the arrests in a statement, though they did not reveal the names of the people detained. 

According to the police, the individuals were caught trying to stage an unauthorized march and rally in several areas of the capital.

During the arrests, authorities say they seized several placards, not just of Trump, but also featuring images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh, and Noor Hossain, a martyr from the 1990 anti-dictatorship movement. 

The police also recovered a large number of provocative posters, other placards, and some money from the arrested group.

The timing of the arrests was related to the Awami League’s planned program to mark Noor Hossain Day on Sunday at Shaheed Noor Hossain Square, near the General Post Office. 

The Awami League had announced the event earlier, and the police had been conducting raids around the city to prevent any unlawful gatherings.

Noor Hossain Day, which honors the memory of Noor Hossain, marks the day when he was killed during the 1990 protests against the military regime of Hussain Muhammad Ershad. 

The Awami League had not held a major event on this day since the fall of the government earlier this year.

In its statement, the police also suggested that Awami League leaders, including party president Sheikh Hasina, had been involved in instructing party members to use Trump’s image and U.S. flags in their planned rallies. 

The police claimed these instructions were given through a viral audio message on social media, where Hasina allegedly encouraged using these images as shields during protests and capturing any scenes of damage or disrespect.

The police further stated that this plan might be part of an effort to harm the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States.