A Dhaka court on Sunday fixed February 25 for charge frame hearing in the case filed against 45 BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for torching vehicles in front of prime minister’s office, during a hartal in 2012.
Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-Or-Rashid deferred the trial on Sunday acting on a time petition filed by defence counsel and fixed the date on February 25 for submission of High Court order and prosecution witness.
Meanwhile, six BNP leaders including Amanullah Aman, Mirza Abbas, Nazim Uddin Alam and MA Matin appeared before the court during the hearing.
Defence counsel Sanaullah Miah filed a time petition before court mentioning that they had earlier filed a quashment petition under section 561 of the code of criminal procedure before the High Court Division.
They mentioned that the proceedings of the case had earlier been stayed for six-month following an order of the High Court.
Later, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court vacated the stay order of the High Court and directed the trial court to restart the proceedings of the case.
Then the defence counsel filed live to appeal against the order which is pending for hearing so they need time.
Tejgaon police station Sub-Inspector Ismail Mazumder had filed a case against 46 BNP leaders and workers of 18-party alliance, including BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alomgir, Mirza Abbas and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Liberal Democratic Party President (retd) Colonel Oli Ahmed (MP), hours after a vehicle was torched near the Prime Minister Office during hartal hours on April 29, 2012.
On May 10, 2012, Detective Branch Inspector Nurul Amin, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted charge sheet before the court, against 46 leaders and activists in the arson case.
The investigation officer showed 18 people, including the owner and the driver of the vehicle torched as prosecution witnesses.
Four other accused, including Chattra Shibir Chief Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Jamaat-e-Islami Leader Maqbul Ahmed and Chattra Shibir leaders Nurul Islam Bulbul and Abdul Zabber are absconding.
The opposition enforced the strike across the county to press their demand for rescue of BNP leader M Ilyas Ali and restoration of the non party care taker government system.