Police have arrested 19 Awami League-backed union parishad members raiding a hotel during a ‘clandestine meeting’ in Cox’s Bazar district town on Friday night.

Being tipped off that 19 UP members would gather at Uni Resort in Kalatoli area of the district town, a team of police arrested them at about 11:00pm, said officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Foyzul Azim Noman.

Zahir Ahmed, a member of Teknaf Sadar Union Parishad, alleged 70 UP members of an association ‘members association’ gathered in the resort to discuss the country’s current situation.

Suddenly, police along with over 50 student coordinators of the district entered the hotel and started to harass them and picked up 19, he said.

During the drive, tourists were seen leaving the resort fearing police harassment.

Maheshkhali UP member Salim condemned the arrest.

Some coordinators allegedly obstructed journalists when they were recoding video of the police drive.