Police set up checkposts at Dhaka's entry points

Police have set up checkposts at four entry points of Dhaka and are conducting searches on Dhaka-bound buses from this morning.

Checkposts have been set up at two points of Narayanganj on Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka Sylhet highways, at Tongi bridge on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and at Aminbazar on the Dhaka-Aricha highway.

Police say this checking is part of their regular activities but BNP leaders have claimed these checkposts are meant to deter BNP activists from entering the capital ahead of the December 10 rally.

Rafique, who drives a human haulier on Dhaka-Sylhet highway told our correspondent that police stopped his vehicle near Demra bridge and quizzed the passengers.

In Narayanganj, police set up one checkpost in Mouchak area on Dhaka-Sylhet highway and another at Megnaghat toll plaza on Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Golam Mostafa, superintendent of police in Narayanganj, said there are a total of seven checkposts within the district and the search operations are part of their routine work.

He further said no separate activities are going on centring BNP's rally and no arrests have been made during their routine searches, he added.

Meanwhile, Gazipur Metropolitan Police said they have set-up checkposts on the south side of Tongi bridge on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway from this morning.

Ismail Hossain, an NGO worker, traveling from Mymensingh to Dhaka who faced police quizzing said police not only checked the documents of his motorbike but they also conducted a body-search.

Md Alamgir Hossain, deputy commissioner (Traffic) of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, however, said the checkposts are nothing new and are part of their routine activity.

In Savar, one checkpost has been set up at Amin Bazar and the other at Ashulia from this noon.

Locals have complained that the checkposts resulted in tailbacks at Aminbazar point on Dhaka- Aricha highway.

The tailback was a result of the checkpost which was set up at Aminbazar area, said Abdus Salam, inspector (Admin) of Dhaka North Traffic Zone.