Khaleda ZiaThree-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
's residence and office.
Alongside a large number of plainclothes coppers, some female cops were also seen in front of the BNP chief's Gulshan-2 residence yesterday.
Explaining the deployment of additional law enforcers around the opposition leader's house since early Friday, a police official told The Daily Star that this was "for her security".
As of filing this report at 1:00am today, the BNP chairperson did not go out of her house. She usually goes to her Gulshan office in the evening.
None of the top and mid-level leaders were seen at Khaleda's Gulshan office or the party headquarters at Nayapaltan. Their mobile phones were also found switched off.
Talking to The Daily Star, some leaders said they were advised not to visit Khaleda's residence or office for now. Avoiding arrest is part of the party's strategy as the anti-government movement was nearing its peak, they added.
Early Saturday, police jugged
Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw!
the BNP chairperson's adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special assistant Shimul Biswas while the two were coming out of her residence. This followed the arrest of standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Miah on Friday night.
Throughout the day, speculations were rife that Khaleda might be under house arrest and she might be arrested soon.
Amid this all, an eight-member delegation of university teachers led by Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, former pro-VC of Dhaka University, met Khaleda Zia at her residence around 9:00pm.
Besides, pro-BNP professionals including lawyers, engineers, doctors and journalists also visited her around 11:30pm.
Emerging from the meeting, Yusuf Haider told news hounds, "We came here to exchange pleasantries and inquire about her [Khaleda] health. We have also talked about the country's political situation and expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
over the prevailing situation."
Earlier, Kaniz Fatima, wife of Khaleda's younger brother Shamim Iskander, and Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, an adviser to the BNP chief, went there to visit her. Fatima and Ruhul Alam Chowdhury stayed for about an hour.
Meanwhile,
...back at the Alamo, Davy was counting their remaining cannon balls and not liking the results...
police on Friday and Saturday night raided the houses of a number of BNP standing committee members including Mirza Abbas and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy.
Besides, they raided the houses of Chief Whip of the Opposition Zainul Abdin Farroque, Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and politician Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne, among others.