DHAKA: Police Monday took BNP Vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury on a day’s remand for grilling in connection with troubles during Sunday’s hartal enforced by the opposition party.

Shamsher Mobin, also ex-foreign secretary, is held on charges of obstructing police from discharging their duties and vandalising vehicles during hartal picketing.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rokhsana Begum Happy granted the remand after Gulshan police produced him before the court with seven days’ remand prayer.

In a backlash to the remand order, pro-BNP lawyers staged a protest procession on the court premises.

Shamsher Mobin was held Sunday at around 12noon from the city’s wireless gate area during the hartal, as law enforcers rounded up several hundred pickets, and many of them were shown arrested.

BNP’s standing committee member Mirza Abbas and lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annee were shown arrested in separate cases filed following the strike.

BDST: 1707 HRS. June 28, 2010
MI/KL/SRJ/SMS/MUA