Different units of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested over 500 leaders and activists were arrested at different places of the city during overnight raids until Thursday early morning, the party alleged.

The party made the allegation in an urgent message from the party senior joint-secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

The message sent to media houses on Thursday morning ‘strongly condemn such police actions against freedom of assembly as part of democratic practice ahead of the upcoming elections’.

He demand the immediate release of the arrested BNP leaders and activists.

‘Police arrested Mir Ashraf Ali, the former commissioner of Ward No. 26, Dhaka City Corporation, and his son, Barrister Muntaha Ali, last night from their house. Mr Ashraf Ali was seriously injured during the arrest, including broken legs. He is currently being treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in police custody,’ the message said.

‘In addition, Shafiqul Haque Milan, a lawyer and the relief and rehabilitation affairs secretary of BNP central committee, Abdul Quddus Akon, assistant-organizing secretary of BNP, and Anwar Hossain Ujjal, former general secretary of Rajshahi metropolitan BNP along with approximately two hundred leaders and activists who came to Dhaka to attend the BNP’s grand rally, which will be held in Dhaka on July 28, 2023, were also arrested on 26 July night in the capital by the various police units,’ the message read.

‘The police also raided the Midway Hotel and the Victoria Hotel next to the BNP central office near Naya Paltan. They arrested more than 300 leaders and activists who boarded there to attend the Grand Rally on July 28,’ the message also read.

A deputy commissioner of DB in the wee hours of Thursday claimed that they had raided Hotel Midway  near BNP central office at Naya Paltan on ‘ specific information’ and detained ‘50 plus’ opposition activists from the hotel on allegation of ‘sabotage’.

Senior officials of DMP said in the morning that they would provide the number of arrested political activists later on the day.