Supporters of an Awami League ‘rebel’ who is running for Sreepur Upazila Parishad chairman demonstrated blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur for over three hours against his alleged detention by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Sreepur Police Station OC Amir Hossain said traffic came to a halt on the highway from around 3pm Friday after supporters of Abdul Jalil, currently Telihati Union Parishad chairman who is also a member of the ruling party’s Upazila unit, began protesting.
The traffic resumed around 6:15pm after the supporters left when Jalil himself and local MP Md Rahmat Ali spoke to them, said Maona Highway Police Station OC Sanwar Hossain.
He said the blockade had caused a nearly 15 kilometre-long congestion on both side of the road.
His supporters had also agitated on different bypasses of the highway at Sreepur.
RAB, however, could not confirm Jalil’s detention.
The Awami League leader’s election campaign coordinator Md Nurunnabi Akhand told bdnews24.com that RAB had called Jalil several times over phone on Wednesday, summoning at their Shimultoli camp. But he was unable to go, as he was busy campaigning.
“After today’s Juma prayers, several men in civilian clothing identified themselves as RAB officials while he was campaigning at Bormi, in Sreepur. They took him away in a car.”
Afterwards, thousands of Jalil’s supporters took to the streets in Maona area when the news of his detention spread.
Akhand said MP Rahmat Ali had called the people who took Jalil away over phone and asked them to release him when their car reached near the Tongi bridge. “They dropped Jalil around 5pm near the office of Superintendent of Police in Gazipur district town.”
Then Jalil along with MP Ali went to Maona intersection to pacify his agitating supporters, Akhand said.
Meanwhile, RAB-1 Shimultoli camp’s Assistant Director Ziaur Rahman was unavailable for comments. His mobile phone was switched off.
RAB-1 commander Lt Col Kismat Hayat, however, said they had summoned Jalil earlier for information regarding his land. “But I don’t know anything about today’s (Friday) developments.”
The Awami League has extended support to Iqbal Hasan Sabuj for the chairman’s post at the Sreepur Upazila Parishad elections slated for Mar 13.
Sabuj is known to be a supporter of district Awami League unit President and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque.
Abdul Jalil, backed by a faction of the Upazila Awami League unit, has begun his election campaign in defiance of the party’s decision. He is known to be a follower of local MP Md Rahmat Ali.
Nurunnabi Akhand alleged that RAB had detained Jalil following Mozammel Haque’s order.
Source: bdnews24
