Tangail, August 5 (V7N) — A protest and press conference were held in Tangail on Monday afternoon to denounce what organizers described as false charges and politically motivated arrests of three local leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The event took place in front of the Tangail Press Club, organized by a citizens’ group identifying as the Greater Santosh Pro-Peace Civil Society.
 
Speakers at the protest demanded the immediate release of the detained BNP leaders—Jubayer Hossain, Golam Rabbani, and Shah Alam—who were arrested Saturday along with two others in connection with an alleged extortion case. Families of the accused claim the case is fabricated and likened it to previous politically driven charges filed during earlier ruling periods.
 
Relatives of the detainees, including Moniruzzaman, Mashum Ahmed, and Gofur Sikder, spoke at the demonstration, stating that the arrests are part of a conspiracy to suppress political dissent. They accused the investigating officer, Kazi Nazrul Islam, of coercing two arrestees under duress to implicate the three BNP leaders. “The case is baseless and fictitious, similar to the sabotage and explosives cases used in the past to silence opposition voices,” one speaker said.
 
According to the families, police initially obstructed them from delivering food to the detainees after their arrest. Protesters called for a fair investigation, punishment for those allegedly involved in the conspiracy, and the unconditional release of the arrested leaders.
 
Following the protest, a press conference was held inside the Tangail Press Club auditorium, reiterating the demand for case withdrawal and immediate release of the three BNP leaders.
 
This incident adds to a growing list of opposition complaints about politically motivated arrests ahead of the upcoming electoral season, raising concerns among rights advocates about the shrinking space for political dissent in Bangladesh.
 
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