Police arrested four leaders and activists of BNP after foiling a procession of the party in Sylhet city this afternoon.

The arrestees are Jalal Khan, fisheries secretary of Sylhet district unit of BNP, Akbar Ali, organising secretary of Sylhet Sadar upazila unit of BNP, and Haider Ali, city unit leader and Jebul Miah, a BNP activist, said police.

After Juma prayer, several hundred BNP men held a rally in the Amberkhana area in support of the hartal scheduled for Saturday and Sunday across the country boycotting the upcoming national elections, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

In the rally, BNP chairperson's advisor Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and central organising secretary Dr Shakhawat Hossain Jibon addressed the crowd along with other leaders.

Later, as the BNP men brought out a procession, police obstructed them in Chowhatta area. After an altercation, police chased them and charged batons to disperse the procession.

BNP, in a press release, claimed that at least seven activists were injured when police aggressively dispersed the procession.

Azbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said, "They [BNP men] obstructed the vehicular movement and police acted to clear the road. Four persons were arrested from the spot."