A Dhaka court yesterday permitted police to search BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office for explosives and a device which police claimed Khaleda uses to coordinate countrywide sabotage.
In their petition for a search warrant, the police also claimed that 14 accused, including Khaleda, of a case filed in connection with a crude bomb blast on Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan’s procession had been in that office.
Metropolitan Magistrate SM Masud Zaman heard the petition placed by Sub-Inspector Md Sohel Rana of Gulshan police and issued the warrant.
A pro-Awami League transport leader had filed the case. The crude bomb attack on Shajahan’s procession at Gulshan had left five people injured. Khaleda Zia is named as the prime accused in the case.
Khaleda’s counsel Md Sanaullah Mia, who confirmed the issuing of the warrant to the Dhaka Tribune, alleged the warrant had been issued secretly at the government’s instigation, which is a violation of the law.
“The government is trying to implement its evil design,” he said, adding that only executive magistrates could issue such warrants.
The other accused in the case include BNP vice-chairmen Selima Rahman and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, BNP Women’s Front Secretary Shirin Sultana, BNP Deputy Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed, Khaleda’s Adviser Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and Personal Secretary Shimul Biswas, central committee member Humayun Kabir Khan, former ward councillor Abdul Kaiyum and former MP of Savar Dewan Mohammad Salahuddin.
Meanwhile, the security detail at Khaleda’s residence on Gulshan Road 79 was withdrawn last night.
A police official told the Dhaka Tribune that an instruction from the higher-ups for withdrawing the security team of six constables and a havilder had arrived at 8pm and they had left by a truck at 9pm.
He said the security men would report at the police lines.
Khaleda Zia has been staying at her Gulshan office since January 3. The party had planned a programme to observe January 5 as “Democracy Killing Day” in protest against the 10th parliamentary election that had taken place on that day last year.
