report in Prothom Alo, Dec 26, 2023
The central office of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has been under lock and key since 28 October. The party’s temporary and permanent offices also remain closed in all but eight districts across the country.
The BNP has been waging anti-government for quite sometimes while the closure of the party offices started following the events of 28 October when their grand rally in Dhaka was foiled and two people including a policeman died in BNP-police clashes. Police then launched nationwide crackdown on the party leaders and activists, resulting in the closure of the party offices across the country.
BNP has 82 organisational districts, including 64 districts. There are city and district unit offices in the divisional towns. Big districts are organisationally divided into south and north units. Sometimes, residence and personal establishments of the party leaders are used as the party office in 60 districts and the party runs no office in four districts.
Prothom Alo’s Staff Correspondents and Correspondents visited the party’s permanent and makeshift (party leaders’ houses) offices across the country on Saturday and apparently found the offices closed in 52 districts. Some offices never opened. Some offices were opened by office assistants, but no leaders-activists visit these and no organisational activities are run either. Besides, police also patrol in 13 offices of the BNP regularly or irregularly.
It has been learned that 65 offices of BNP’s 80 organisational districts are apparently closed. Party leaders said there is no option to keep the party offices open as active leaders at central, districts and union levels went into hiding fearing arrest.
BNP’s Chattogram city office is located on Nasiman Bhaban in Kajir Dewri. It has been closed since 28 October. It was opened once on 14 December to observe the Martyr Intellectual Day and was closed afterward.
BNP leader Idris Ali, who is in-charge of the Chattogram city office, told Prothom Alo police are arresting the party leaders and activists from home without warrants, and for this reason, party leaders and activists have been strategic to observe the patry programmes.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner (media and public relation) Spina Rani Pramanik, however, claimed police were harassing none except those facing lawsuit.
https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/b083ut7t2z
