BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has now become a restaurant to have rice.
"We know that the DB office is a house of terror for the opposition leaders and workers. Do you know what happened there? The DB office has now become a hotel (restaurant) to eat rice," he said.
The BNP leader made the remark while speaking at a protest rally arranged by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office to protest a ‘dictated’ verdict of the lower court against BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman in a graft case.
On July 29, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was taken to the DB office after his detention from the party’s sit-in programme in the city’s Dholaikhal area.
Later, a video containing Gayeshwar having lunch at the DB office with its chief, Harun-Or-Rashid went viral.
Later, some other celebrities were also entrained with lunch at the DB office as they went there with their various complaints. The DB chief said they offer lunch to people who come to their office during lunchtime.
Rizvi alleged that the government is using law enforcers, including the DB, to implicate the BNP leaders and activists in different cases to suppress the ongoing movement.
"Our leaders are being made disappear for 4–5 days after picking them up. Then it is said that they are in the Metropolitan DB office or with the DB police. They are handed over to the police stations a few days later," he alleged.
The BNP leader bemoaned that the opposition leaders and activists have lost their right to lead a normal life and to do normal politics.
"There’s no democracy, rule of law, or justice in the country. Had there been justice in the country, those who are now in power would have stayed in jail for their misdeeds and crimes," he observed.
After a brief rally, the leaders and activists of Mohila Dal brought out a procession towards Nightingale Crossing, chanting various anti-government slogans.