Tareque Reza Held in Jhenaidah

The Jhenaidah District Police have arrested senior central joint member secretary of the National Citizen Party, Tareque Reza, in connection with allegations of violence, vandalism, and issuing threats of death. The arrest took place on Sunday at approximately 6:30 pm in the town’s Stadium area, near the Family Zone auditorium, amid a heightened police presence.

According to police and local sources, Reza had arrived at the venue to attend a previously announced emergency press briefing. Shortly after his arrival, a team from Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station detained him in front of the auditorium. Officers in charge of the local police station, along with personnel in plain clothes and members of various intelligence agencies, were reportedly present at the scene during the operation.

Police officials stated that the arrest was made based on a case filed on 23 May, which includes multiple individuals accused of assault, vandalism, and threats of murder. Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that operations are continuing to apprehend other named suspects.

Local political sources trace the unrest back to 22 May, when tensions escalated during the Jhenaidah visit of the chief coordinator of the Nasiruddin Patwary-aligned programme of the National Citizen Party. Following Friday prayers, clashes reportedly broke out between activists of the student wing of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and members of the National Citizen Party, resulting in chases, scuffles, and street-level confrontations.

In the aftermath, both sides filed counter-complaints. Initially, Tareque Reza lodged a case accusing eight local activists of assault and intimidation. The following day, a counter-case was filed by a former vice-president of the district unit of the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, naming Reza and 21 others as accused. The arrest on Sunday was made in connection with this counter-case.

The sequence of events, as reported by local authorities and witnesses, is summarised below:

Following the arrest, additional police units were deployed in key areas of the town to maintain order. Law enforcement authorities stated that the situation is currently under control and that surveillance has been strengthened to prevent further unrest.

Reactions from political circles have been divided. Representatives associated with the National Citizen Party have suggested that the case may be politically motivated, while law enforcement officials have maintained that the arrest was carried out strictly on the basis of an active criminal investigation. Authorities have added that further legal action will depend on the outcome of ongoing inquiries.