Attack on Khaleda’s motorcade: 'Cops coerced Feni Chhatra Dal leader into admitting involvement'

Nure Salam Milon, president of the Fazilpur union unit of pro-BNP student organisation Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, has confessed to being involved in an attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Dhaka-bound motorcade, though his family alleged that police coerced him into making the statement. Milon made his confessional statement before the Feni Judicial Magistrate’s Court of Zakir Hossain on Wednesday, said SM Zahangir Alam, superintendent of police in the district. However, his father Yaer Ahmed and BNP’s Feni district President Abu Taher claimed that police coerced Milon into making the statement by torturing him with electric shocks and threatening to kill him after his arrest two days ago. “I visited my son in jail on Thursday and felt sick after seeing the signs of brutal torture by police on his body," his father said. Yaer added that Milon broke to tears while describing his time in police custody. "At one point, Milon lost consciousness due to the torture. When he woke up, police asked him what his last wishes were after taking him to the Lalpool area on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway to kill him," Yaer said. On Tuesday, unidentified miscreants hurled “petrol bombs” at two buses, targeting Khaleda Zia’s motorcade at Feni sadar upazila while she was returning to Dhaka after visiting Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. The two empty buses were parked near a petrol pump on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Mohipal in the district. Soon after the incident, BNP leaders, including Khaleda, alleged that leaders and activists of the Awami League perpetrated the attack. The ruling party denied the allegation, saying that the incident was a result of internal feuds between BNP leaders. Earlier, on October 28, Khaleda’s motorcade was attacked in the same district when it was bound for Cox’s Bazar. At least four vehicles, mostly belonging to the media, were vandalised and several journalists were beaten by the assailants. Abu Taher claimed Milon was in the motorcade on that day, and on Tuesday he was busy assisting fire brigade and police personnel in dousing fires that originated from the explosion. "There is plenty of footage and photos of Milon talking to journalists after the two incidents," Taher added. “Law enforcers, assisted by local Awami League leader and Fazilpur Union Parishad Chairman Mujibul Haque Ripon, coerced him into making this statement," Taher added. “Though it is clear who carried out the attacks, police are deliberately suing leaders and activists of BNP and its student organisation and torturing them to divert people’s attention,” he said Ripon, however, denied the allegation brought against him. In addition, Feni Model police station Officer-in-Charge Rashed Khan Choudhury also termed the allegations against them as "baseless," saying that those who made the accusations of coercion are trying to cover up the truth. "Who carried out the attack and why are now clear in the statement made by arrestees," the OC said. On Wednesday, 29 named and 30 to 35 unnamed people were accused in a case filed over the attacks. Another 13 people were made accused in the same case the following day. Nineteen have so far been arrested.