LONDON (UK): Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged party-men to come on the street to ‘free’ his mother, Khaleda Zia, from the ‘cordoned’ condition.

The elder son of BNP chief made the urge in the afternoon here at banquet hall in East London while addressing a discussion titled ‘Democracy Killing Day’ arranged by United Kingdom (UK) BNP.

Tarique, mentioning his mother Desh Netri, said that everyone should come on the street to ‘free’ Khaleda.

He, however, asked the BNP leaders and activists, at that time, that what they would do if their mother were also ‘cordoned’.

BNP central committee secretary of international affairs Mahidur Rahman, UK BNP secretary Kaysar M Ahmed, the unit’s former convener MA Malek, former general secretary Barrister MA Salam, vice president Abdul Hamid and local BNP leader Taimus Ali, among others, also attended the discussion chaired by UK BNP president Shayesta Chowdhury.

However, top BNP leaders in the country had already gone into hiding as police raided their residences on Saturday night ahead of January-5 rally.

Meanwhile, a huge number of law enforcers have been cordoning the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office where she has been kept under high surveillance since Saturday midnight.

Though, the police men claimed that they want to guide Khaleda up to her residence for security measures, but, BNP chief did not accept to go with them.

On the other hand, her press secretary Shimul Biswas claimed that Khaleda is literally house arrested at her office.

Not only that, a group of police from detective branch (DB) earlier have also picked  BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed from the party's central office in city’s Naya Paltan area Saturday midnight.

Sources said that Rizvi was taken to a city hospital, but it could not be confirmed from any official source.

BDST: 0330 HRS, JAN 05, 2015