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| Bangladesh |
| Fakhrul among 45 charged |
| 2012-05-11 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Detectives yesterday pressed charges against 45 leaders and activists of BNP-led 18-party alliance, including BNP acting secretary general, for torching a vehicle near Prime Minister's Office (PMO) during April 29 shutdown. Inspector of the Detective Branch of Police Nurul Amin, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court yesterday around 10:45am. The court will decide on May 13 whether it will take into cognisance the charges brought against the accused. BNP, however, termed the cases and the charge sheet "false and politically motivated" and asked the government to withdraw both without any delay. On April 29, two cases had been filed with Tejgaon and Ramna cop shoppes against leaders and activists of 18-party alliance in connection with torching a bus in front of the PMO and a blast at the secretariat on that day. "The government has filed the cases and submitted the charge sheet only to divert public attention from the ongoing anti-government movement, but they won't succeed," said BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain while addressing a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club. Talking to The Daily Star, defence counsel Masud Ahmed Talukder said the court would not be able to give any order on the charge sheet on May 13, as the third bench of the High Court was yet to pass any order on the dissenting orders of the division bench regarding bail of the 30 accused in the two cases. Of the accused, Mohammad Sohel alias Sohan Miah, conductor of the bus torched; Mohammad Jasim Uddin and Manik Ratan, helpers of the vehicle; Mohammad Kamruzzaman Ratan, former student leader; Mohammad Ismail Khan Shahin, president of Titumir College unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal ...student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)... (JCD); Mohammad Mannan Hossain Shahin, Swechchhasebak Dal president of Mohammadpur Police Station area; and BNP joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed were earlier nabbed Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! and sent to jail. Another accused in the arson case Mahbub Uddin Khokon got bail on May 9 on his surrender before a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate's court till May 20. The IO yesterday showed BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 36 others as runaways since he [the IO] did not receive the copies of their bail order. The IO also sought issuance of arrest warrant against them and an order to attach their moveable property. Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch, Butch and the Kid finally brought their horses under control... the IO dropped the name of Chhatra Shibir General Secretary Abdur Jabbar as his full address was not found during investigation. He showed 18 people, including the owner and the driver of the vehicle torched as prosecution witnesses. If the charges are proved, the minimum punishment for arson will be two years' rigorous imprisonment while the maximum five years' rigorous imprisonment. |
| Posted by:Fred |