At least 10 people, including two journalists, were injured when the police clashed with Hizb ut-Tahrir as the proscribed outfit staged a procession in Dhaka city on Friday.
Witnesses said that around a thousand operatives and supporters of the banned organisation brought out the procession as part of their 鈥楳arch for Khilafah鈥� programme from聽 the north gate of Baitul Mukarram mosque shortly after the end of Jumma prayers.
At the start of the procession, 10鈥�12 members of the police attempted to stop them with whistles and verbal warnings and then futilely tried to physically block them.
Shoving the small group of law enforcers aside, the march moved towards the Bijoynagar Panir Tanki crossing through the Purana Paltan crossing where a deployment of 30鈥�40 police members confronted them, firing teargas shells and sound grenades.
The procession then took a U-turn and headed towards the Purana Paltan crossing, but before reaching there the police again fired tear gas shells and sound grenades, causing them to disperse and rush into the nearby alleys and lanes. At the time the police also baton charged them.
During the confrontation, at least 10 people, including two journalists and five policemen, were injured. 抖阴精品 photojournalist Md Shourav, Daily Kalbela staff reporter Shuvon Arko and two Hizb ut Tahrir activists took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The police chased the dispersing activists into the alleys of Purana Paltan area and detained several people suspecting them as involved in the banned organisation.
When asked, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna division deputy commissioner, Md Masud Alam told 抖阴精品 that they detained around 15鈥�20 people during the clash when around five policemen sustained minor injuries.
Earlier, Hizb ut-Tahrir had called for a procession under the banner of 鈥楳arch for Khilafah,鈥� reportedly to mark the 101st anniversary of the fall of the Caliphate in Turkey.
Earlier on the day, the army, Rapid Action Battalion, and police were seen to tighten security around the Baitul Mukarram mosque and nearby areas to prevent any untoward situation.
The DMP in a press release on Thursday reminded people that Hizb ut-Tahrir was banned the Government of Bangladesh on October 22, 2009.
The release said that activities, including rallies, distribution of leaflets and posters, by the proscribed organisation were criminal offences under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009.
Any such action by them would be met with legal action, the release warned.
The police on early Friday also arrested Monirul Islam, Mohtasin Billah, and Mahmudul Hasan鈥攖hree members of Hizb ut-Tahrir in the capital鈥檚 Uttara.
Later, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Mohammad Junaid placed the three on different terms of remand for interrogation in a case filed under the anti-terrorism act at the Uttara West police station.
