BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said police are arresting leaders and activists of BNP ahead of their grand rally tomorrow.

Condemning the arrest, he demanded their immediate release.

According to a press release issued today, police arrested Mir Ashraf Ali, former commissioner of Ward 26 of Dhaka City Corporation and his son, Barrister Muntaha Ali, from their house on Wednesday night.

“Ashraf Ali was seriously injured during the arrest, and his legs were broken,” the press release says.

He is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in police custody, the release adds.

Besides, at least 200 leaders and activists of BNP, including 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, who came to Dhaka to attend tomorrow’s rally, were arrested from different parts of the capital on Wednesday night, the press release says.

Police also raided the Midway Hotel and Victoria Hotel next to BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan and arrested more than 300 leaders and activists who boarded there to attend the rally, the press release from the party says.