Fakhrul barred from visiting Kalurghat Betar Station

Police on Sunday barred BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and some other senior leaders from visiting Kalurghat Betar Station, which has a connection with party founder Ziaur Rahman’s memory.

Fakhrul together with party leaders and activists placed wreaths at Biplob Udyan and Bijoy Udyan at noon paying homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War, said Chattogram BNP ex-office secretary Idris Ali.

Later, he said the BNP leaders set out for Kalurghat Betar Station to pay homage to the martyrs marking the Independence Day, but they were obstructed by police at the port city’s Sholasahar crossing.

At one stage, Fakhrul and BNP standing committee member Amir Khorru Mahmud Chowdhury got out of their vehicles and locked into an altercation with the law enforcers, but they were not allowed to go to the Betar Station.

At the same, a group of Chhatra League leaders and activists gathered the crossing with a procession, but police forced them to leave the area to maintain peace.

Finally, Fakhrul and his party colleagues went to Polo Ground to attend a scheduled public meeting of BNP.

Talking to UNB, BNP leader Amir Khosru said they wanted to place wreaths at Kalurghat Betar Station as Ziaur Rahman proclaimed the country’s independence from there in 1971. “It’s a regrettable matter that we’re not allowed to go there.”

Jahidul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Panchlaish Police Station, said BNP leaders were given permission to pay homage to Biblob Udyan and hold a meeting at Polo Ground, but they did not have permission to go to the Betar Station.  “So, they have been asked to go to their scheduled programmes to avoid any untoward situation.”

BNP sought permission from police a few days back to visit Kalurghat Betar Station and hold a rally in the city, marking the Independence Day. Later, Awami League also announced to hold a rally at the same venue the same day. 

Under the circumstances, the police did not give BNP permission to go to the Betar Station. However, the party was allowed to hold a rally at Polo Ground.