A Dhaka court on Thursday placed five BNP leaders on an eight-day police remand each in two cases filed for “attempting to kill law enforcers, provoking violence, committing acts of vandalism and arson attacks”.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim passed the order after the investigation officers of the cases sought 20 days remand.
Earlier, the five leaders were brought from Kasimpur Jail in Gazipur and produced before the court. Defence lawyers sought bail and submitted a remand rejection prayer.
The court, however, placed them on a five-day remand in the police killing case and another three-day remand each in the violence provocation case.
Five BNP leaders are standing committee members Moudud Ahmed MP, MK Anwar MP and barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.
Defence lawyer Md Sanaullah Miah told the court that two arrested accused leaders are parliament members, another accused Moudud had recently come back from London after his treatment while MK Anwer is an aged person and honourable former minister.
Another defence counsel Masud Ahmed Talukder said police arrested them on the instruction of a ruling party minister. They were shown arrested in this case to foil the opposition movement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge Court Public Prosecutor Md Abdullah Abu, however, opposed the bail plea saying that the accused masterminded cocktail blasts in Kamalapur area.
At about 1.00pm, the five leaders were sent to police custody.
In the case statement filed on November 5 with Motijheel Police Station Sub-inspector ASI AKM Azizul Haque, it was said that the five arrestees along with 60-90 opposition activists blockaded a road in front of New Anar Bakery near Kamalapur Bazar during the second spell of the 60-hour hartal.
“When police tried to resist them, the opposition activists exploded three to four crude bombs in a bid to kill policemen. A number of policemen were injured in the incident,” the remand indictment presented by Investigation Officer SI Mizanur Rahman reads.
It also said the arrestees provoked the government officers not to obey law by declaring the government illegal at different talk-shows and rallies.
In another case, on September 24, Sub-inspector Humayun Kabir Hawlader filed the case with Motijheel Police Station against 53 leaders and unnamed 80-90 people.
Investigation Officer SI Khandakar Zahid Ali alleged that the BNP leaders torched seven cars and blasted several cocktails in front of Motijheel Ideal School and College on September 24 from a procession which also blockaded the road. In the period of vandalism the accused attempted to kill drivers of vehicles.
The procession was brought out to protest the pressing of charges against Chhatra Dal President Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel and other leaders for hurling a bomb at the information minister’s residence.
On Friday, Moudud, MK Anwar and Rafiqul were detained from in front of Hotel Sonargaon in the capital, hours after the opposition called 72-hour hartal demanding a non-party polls-time government.
Around five hours later, law enforcers detained Abdul Awal Mintoo and Shimul Biswas from outside Khaleda’s Gulshan-2 residence around 1:10am.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court on Thursday placed former president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Sultan Salahuddin Tuku on a 20-day remand in relation to five cases filed with Ramna and Shahbagh police stations.
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque passed the order after the investigation officers of the cases sought 50 days remand for quizzing the BNP leader.
On October 21, Tuku was detained from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s convoy during a scuffle between police and her personal staff during Khaleda’s visit to the party headquarters at Nayapaltan for a meeting with BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
