PV Desk : Police have cordoned off the BNP headquarters in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan ahead of the party’s scheduled march to demand the release of jailed Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

A large police force took position opposite the main entrance of the BNP office at 9 am on Saturday.

The deployment was met with chants and slogans for Khaleda’s freedom by at least 50 BNP leaders and activists, including Joint Secretary General Habibunnabi Khan Sohel and Swechchasebak Dal President Shafiul Bari Babu.

An armoured police vehicle has also been stationed five metres away from the BNP headquarters as party leaders and activists were barred from entering the office.

Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and other leaders were at the office when BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir arrived.

The BNP is set to launch the march at 2 pm on Saturday as part of its countrywide protest movement to press for Khaleda’s release.

“We were not informed of any procession taking place today,” a police officer on duty at Naya Paltan said.