19 AL leaders, activists held over procession in Ctg after funeral of ex-MP Mosharraf

Police have arrested 19 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisations for holding a procession after the namaz-e-janaza of former minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in Chattogram.

According to a press release issued by the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) today (15 May), a case has been filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.

Police said that around 11:30am yesterday, following Mosharraf's janaza at the Jamiatul Falah Mosque ground, leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates suddenly held a procession on the city's main roads, chanting "Joy Bangla" and other anti-government slogans.

The CMP claimed that participants in the procession were carrying sticks and bricks and had gathered with the intention of carrying out sabotage.

According to police, Kotwali Police Station Sub-Inspector Sharif Uddin, on duty with his team at the time, spotted the procession and informed senior officials.

Police later conducted a drive in the area, but the participants allegedly fled through nearby alleys.

Police said they recovered 15 broken pieces of bricks and eight wooden sticks from the scene.

Later, acting on a tip-off, police carried out raids in different areas under the leadership of Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Aftab Uddin and arrested 19 people.

The detainees were sent to court after a case was filed against them under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The CMP statement said preliminary interrogation suggests the arrestees were allegedly involved in anti-state conspiracies, sabotage, and terrorist activities.

It also said a review of the Crime Data Management System (CDMS) database found that several of the detainees had previous cases related to weapons, preparation for robbery, mugging, theft, and violence against women.