Most of the front ranking leaders of BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami in Rangamati are on the run following the arrest of district BNP secretary M Zahir Ahmed along with a number of others by joint forces.

Zahir was arrested on January 31 soon after takeover by the caretaker government. He was arrested along with some other party leaders in a raid on BNP office for alleged corruption, extortion and other crimes during the rule of four-party alliance government. Zahir is now in Comillajail.

District BNP vice-president Faizul Azim was also arrested recently.

Houses of district BNP president Nazimuddin and Rangamati poura BNP president Md Shah Alam, district Jamaat Ameer ASM Shahidullah and Rangamati Poura Awami League president Shahidullah were raided recently but they escaped arrest, official sources said.

Satyabir Dewan, central secretary of Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), was also arrested on charge of corruption and irregularities, the sources said.

Zahir amassed a huge property during the rule of 4-party alliance, the sources said.

Those on the run also include Rangamati district Jammat Ameer ASM Shahidullah and secretary Md. Nurul Alam Siddiqui.

Sources claimed that a section of front ranking BNP and Jamaat leaders were involved in tender manipulation and toll collection from different government departments including Hill District Council, Road and Highways Department, Public Works Department (PWD), LGED and municipality.