A bulldozer of Dhaka City Corporation clears out a road at Purana Paltan in the capital on Monday. More than hundreds of shops and many vehicles were torched by the activists of Hefajat-e Islam in the capital including Paltan, Motijheel and Bijoynagar areas during a clash with law enforcers on Sunday.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed a ban on holding any kind of meeting, procession and rally in its area for 13 hours from Monday morning to avert anarchy and confrontation.
The ban will continue from 11:00am to Monday midnight, a press release of DMP said.
DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed imposed the ban under section 28 and 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, the press release added.
The press release reads: “To maintain law and order in the metropolitan area, I, Benazir Ahmed, police commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, am hereby banning human chain, rally, assemblies and procession of any means and also imposing an embargo on carrying sticks, explosives and firearms, from 11:00am Monday to Monday midnight.”
“I am also banning all kinds of sit-in programme or rally and procession that may hamper pedestrians and transport movement. I am expecting co-operation from all to maintain law and order in Dhaka metropolitan area.”
With imposition of the ban, the protest programmes declared by both the ruling Awami League and opposition alliances in the capital have been cancelled.
The ruling Awami League-led 14-party was scheduled to hold a rally on the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue at 3:00pm protesting Sunday’s mayhem of Hefajat-e Islam.
Hefajat men struck terror in the capital during its Dhaka siege programme and a post-blockade rally in Motijheel, leaving at least eight people dead.
On the other hand, the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance announced to hold a rally in front of BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan of the capital at the end of its 48-hour ultimatum over caretaker government issue.
The ultimatum which was declared by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday evening will expire Monday evening.
Source: The Daily Star
