Fakhrul picked up, taken to DB office

Detective Branch of police picked up BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from his Gulshan residence in Dhaka around 9:25am today.

Md Shahidullah, deputy commissioner (crime) of DMP's Gulshan division, confirmed the detention.

Fakhrul was taken to DB police on Minto Road, sources at police said.

Rahat Ara Begum, wife of Fakhrul, told The Daily Star, "Police came and seized all the CCTV camera devices from our building. They said they had orders to arrest my husband. I hope they return him soon."

"He (Fakhrul) is very ill," the wife said.

"First, some DB police came to our apartment to talk. After they left, a few stayed in front of the building. About 10 minutes later, they returned and took my husband."

The incident took place a day after BNP activists and police clashed in Kakrail, leading to the death of a police constable and a ward-level BNP leader.

BNP is observing a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal today in response to the police action that forced it to abruptly end its Nayapaltan grand rally yesterday.