Pro-Jamaat, BNP lawyers hold rally protesting harassment of Jamaat leaders

Pro-Jamaat and pro-BNP lawyers on Tuesday held a rally at the Supreme Court premises protesting police harassment of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner's office. 

Former assistant attorney general and President of Bangladesh Lawyers Council Supreme Court Branch Gias Uddin Mithu chaired the rally where the lawyers spoke, according to a press release. 

The lawyers condemned the behaviour of the police and the harassment faced by the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders at the DMP Commissioner's office and demanded immediate exemplary punishment of those involved. 

They also demanded that the police commissioner issue a press note expressing his grief over the incident. 

Earlier on Monday, Jamaat-e-Islami issued a statement saying four of their leaders were detained outside the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters when they went to submit an application seeking permission to hold their programme scheduled for 5 June.

Police officials later said the four were held for questioning and were released. They had not been detained, law enforcers said. 

The leaders are Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association's former assistant secretary Advocate Saifur Rahman, former senior vice president advocate Jalal Uddin Bhuian, and Supreme Court lawyers advocate Mostafizur Rahman and advocate Abdul Karim.