Mahila Dal leaders detained for trying to take food to Khaleda’s office

Released after 5 hours

Police detain six leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal from the entrance to BNP chairperson’s office on Thursday when they went there with cocked food. — New Age photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six activists of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed women’s organisation, including two former lawmakers, were detained for five hours as they tried to bring food to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her office staff on Thursday.
For the ninth straight day on Thursday, police continued the restraint on food supply to Khaleda’s Gulshan office, after the UK high commissioner Robert Gibson meeting with Khaleda Zia at her office on February 11.
The detained included two former lawmakers (reserved) Laila Begum and Nargis Ali and activists Shirin Akter Rina, Jharna Khan, Rokeya Sultana Tamanna and Nilufar Yasmin Nilu.
Police chased and caught the six when some 20 Mahila Dal activists carrying dry food tried to enter Khaleda’s Gulshan office around 2:00pm, witnesses said.
They were freed later around 7:00pm.
Gulshan police sub-inspector Husna Afroza told New Age they were picked up as they tried to meet Khaleda Zia and supply food.
Asked whether it was an offence to meet Khaleda and supply her with food, she said, ‘it was forbidden’.
Replying to a question about who had forbidden it – the police or the government, she said, ‘I don’t want to say anymore’.
Khaleda Zia has been staying at the office since January 3, with the government holding her confined there until January 19.
The office staff said they were taking dry food stored inside the office from before.
Some 50 BNP leaders and office staff are staying with Khaleda.

Source: New Age