A Dhaka court yesterday deferred until August 5 the recording of the deposition against 147 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance in a case filed on charges of assaulting police and blasting bombs near BNP’s Nayapaltan office.
Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Moinul Islam Bhuiyan of the Speedy Trial Court 6 set the date as a witness did not appear before the court.
The alliance leaders accused in the case include BNP’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, former Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, AZM Zahid Hossain, Amanullah Aman, and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party chief Shafiul Alam Pradhan. Forty five of the accused were present at the court during the hearing.
On March 11, 2013, law enforcers detained 157 leaders and activists of the BNP-led alliance including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir during a raid at the BNP headquarters after cocktails went off at a rally in front of the office.
However, Mirza Fakhrul, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Sadeque Hossain Khoka were released the next day.
In connection with the incident, Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam filed a case with Paltan police station under the Speedy Trial Act. Later, SI Mahbubul Hasan, also the investigation officer, submitted a charge sheet against 148 leaders and activists on March 24, 2013.
On August 25, 2014, the court framed charges against the 147 leaders and activists. The name of an accused, Omar Faruk, was dropped as he died.
