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Cops to go tough on pickets

Says DMP commissioner

Staff Correspondent
Police would go tough on pickets if they force people to observe tomorrow's hartal, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque yesterday.
BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia announced the strike at a grand rally in the capital on May 19 protesting tender-grabbing and extortions by ruling party men and demanding solution of water, gas, and electricity crises, resignation of the Election Commission, and cancellation of the treaties signed recently with India.
Police would not allow processions or hartal activities on major streets including DIT, airport and Minto roads, said the DMP chief at a press briefing at Rajarbagh Telecom Auditorium in the capital.
The DMP authorities would deploy 10,000 police personnel and detectives during hartal hours forming 451 patrol teams, 74 striking teams each with 10 forces. Additional 15 reserve strike teams would be deployed around the Shahbagh police control room while detectives in important areas including the secretariat.
The commissioner said these teams, each headed by a deputy commissioner, would operate in the DMP area, which has been divided into nine divisions.
A list of pro-hartal activists, who might carry out subversive activities, had been prepared, said Shahidul Haque, adding that the law enforcers had been asked to arrest these activists. He, however, declined to disclose the list.
He said hartal is a political programme and in a democratic country police will not interrupt any political activities but they will try to uphold citizens' rights in any situation.
If pickets force unwilling people to join the hartal police would stand by the people taking action against the pickets, said the commissioner.
For instance, he said, leaders of Transport Owners Association met him seeking help on the hartal day so that they can run their vehicles on city streets uninterrupted.
The DMP commissioner warned of any kind of anarchy in the form of vandalism, shutting down business cen-
tres, blockading roads and so on. Police would file criminal cases against such pickets, he added.
Meanwhile, Legal and Media Wing Director of Rapid Action Battalion Commander Mohammad Sohail said they would deploy 200 Rab personnel in the capital while 2,500 outside thecity.
Rab dog squads and bomb disposal units would be deployed at strategic points.
DMP sources said members of the intelligence department would be deployed from this evening while police personnel early tomorrow.