Dhaka: Police herded up over 50 activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in raids in the city’s Paltan Maidan area from Sunday midnight to Monday noon, in a preemptive action against the Islamic party’s defiant move to hold a rally.

“They were accused of taking preparation to attend a pre-scheduled rally at Paltan Maidan violating section 144, a ban imposed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police,” said OC of Paltan Thana Shahidul Haque.

All the detainees were assembling near Baitul Mukarram national mosque after Fazr prayer to attend the rally, he also said.

Earlier, police Sunday picked up seven activists of Jamaat from Uttara.

The DMP earlier had imposed a ban on any kinds of meeting at Paltan Maidan and in its adjacent areas since Saturday midnight for an indefinite period as both Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Jubo League, the ruling party’s youth front, called meetings at the same venue for the same time Monday.

In the face of the government’s preventive action, Jamaat eventually called off the rally, which was apparently planned as a show of their strength at a time when all the top leaders of the party are listed for standing trial for their alleged involvement in crime against humanity during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war against Pakistani junta.            

BDST: 03: 20 Hrs, May 31, 2010.
SRR/MHQ/BK/MS/SMS/MUA