Gazipur city Jamaat chief, 44 others held with bombs

Police today detained 45 leaders and activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami, including its Gazipur city chief, just weeks ahead of the city corporation elections there.

Detective Branch of police raided Swapnachura Resort at Pubail and nabbed them around 7:30am with a stash of petrol bombs and handmade bombs, our local correspondent reports quoting Harun-or-Rashid, superintendent of Gazipur police.

Among them was city unit Jamaat chief SM Sanaullah who had initially filed nomination for independent candidacy in the mayor elections and later withdrew in support of the BNP-endorsed candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker.

At a press conference, the police official said the Jamaat men gathered there to carry out subversive activities and tried to flee sensing the presence of the law enforcers.

The plainclothes team recovered 15 petrol bombs, four crude bombs and 18 religiously inciting books from their possession.

Hasan Uddin Sarkar, the BNP leader who is contesting in the city corporation elections of May 15 in the position of mayor, condemned the incident claiming that the arrest was motivated.

Meanwhile, police arrested two people, including a BCL leader, with a pistol from Kaliganj Upazila at 9:15pm last night. They are Abul Basar Kazal, 27, vice president of BCL in Kaliganj upazila, and Tanin, 29.