A Mymensingh court yesterday sent eight people to jail in a case filed over the deaths of 27 people in a stampede that occurred during Zakat distribution in the district town on Friday.
The accused are Nurani Talukder alias Md Shamim, owner of Nurani Jorda Factory, his son Hedayet and employees of the factory Iqbal, 40, Arman, 35, Alamgir, 34, Asadul, 32, Abdul Hamid, 36 and driver Parvez, 35.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Ahsan Habib of Cognisance Court 1 passed the order when police produced them before the court and sought seven-day remand for each of them.
The court will hear the remand prayer today.
The owner of the chewing tobacco factory was arrested along with seven others right after the incident and was charged with murder.
Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Saidul Islam, in-charge of Mymensingh Kotwali police outpost 2, was suspended over the incident.
Mymensingh Superintendent of Police (SP) Moinul Haque said Saidul was suspended for dereliction of his duty.
“Saidul was in-charge of the area but he failed to maintain the law and order on the Atul Chakrabarty Road where the stampede took place,” the SP said.
Earlier on Friday, 27 poor people, mostly elderly women and children, were trampled to death and over 50 others injured when they jostled to get Zakat clothes in front of Nurani Jarda Factory in Mymensingh town.
Witnesses say the incident took place due to huge rush at the entrance of the factory after Sehri around 5am. Twelve women died on the spot while the others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, police say.
No police were deployed in the area centring the religious event, when the rich people distribute saris and other clothes among the poor.
The Police Headquarters and the district administration formed two separate bodies to look into the matter.
