Police arrested an unspecified number of BNP leaders and activists including BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and convener of Dhaka North BNP Amanullah Aman after conducting a drive in the BNP office.

The clash broke out around 3 pm when slogan-chanting BNP leaders and activists took position outside the party office and defied police order to leave the place, witnesses said.

At one stage of the altercation over the issue, police lobbed tear gas shells and charged batons to disperse them.

BNP activists responded by pelting brick chips at police, triggering the clash.

Police arrested BNP`s publicity secretary Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and general secretary of Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad Kader Goni Chowdhury from the spot after the clash.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to BNP office around 4:40 pm hearing the news of clash.

Fakhrul blamed the government for what he said unjustified police action. “It’s an unjustified action of police. We strongly condemn it.”

Biplab Sarkar, joint commissioner (operation) of DMP headquarters, said police took action to ensure public security. As per the directive of DMP commissioner police are doing whatever is needed to maintain law and order, he said.