Police arrest BNP leader; party terms it conspiracy

Detectives yesterday arrested a Rajshahi BNP leader who “confessed that his own party men were involved” in Tuesday's crude bomb blasts at a BNP rally in the city.

AKM Motiur Rahman Montu, general secretary of Rajshahi district unit BNP, was picked up by a special unit of Detectives Branch of police from his house at Ramchandrapur around 1:30am, said Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Hafiz Akhter.

Montu was shown arrested in the July 17 case filed with Boalia police under the Explosives Act, 1908, the police official informed.

Rajshahi BNP termed the arrest “police conspiracy” hatched to weaken the party ahead of the city polls.

Contacted, Rajshahi district BNP president Tofazzal Hossain Topu said police possessed video footages of the blasts.

“Instead of identifying the real culprits from the video, they are targeting those BNP leaders who are electioneering,” he said.

“The police have joined hands with the ruling party to conspire against BNP,” he claimed.

In a meet the press programme held at RMP headquarters yesterday afternoon, the police released an audio clip of Montu's telephone conversation with central BNP's Assistant Office Secretary Taiful Islam Tipu on the crude bomb blasts.

In the audio clip, Montu was telling Tipu that two BNP leaders -- Organising Secretary Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and Rajshahi Divisional Assistant Organising Secretary Shahin Shawkat -- orchestrated the blasts to please acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

Montu in the clip was heard saying Jabed, a follower of Shahin, was directly involved in the blasts.

The RMP chief said the audio clip reveals “BNP men themselves orchestrated the blasts at their rally to make the elections questionable and draw people's sympathy and support”.

Montu also revealed “some other important information”, he added.

The audio clip had already gone viral on the social media hours before the police officially released it.

The police commissioner said they had no idea how the clip was leaked in social media.

“Maybe some other agencies or some police officials,” he expressed his doubt.

Earlier on Tuesday around 10:30am, three crude bombs went off when Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu was inaugurating a campaign for BNP's mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul in Sagarpara area.

The blasts left three people including a BNP leader and a journalist injured.

The police arrested one Himel in Bosepara area in this connection. Himel's statement led to the arrest of the BNP leader, according to police.

Ruling Awami League's mayor candidate AHM Khairuzzman Liton told reporters yesterday that the audio clip proved again who wanted to destabilise peace in the city.