A Dhaka Court will hear now on April 30 the charge framing against 148 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance in a case filed with Paltan Police Station under the Speedy Trial Act.
Judge Shahriar Mahmud Adnan of the Speedy Trial Court-6 of Dhaka passed the order on Wednesday as the accused could not be produced before the court today.
Taking cognisance of the charges against the opposition men, the court on March 31 fixed April 17 for charge framing against them.
Earlier, on March 24, Paltan police submitted the charge-sheet to the court against the leaders and activists of the opposition alliance for assaulting police and creating panic among people near BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on March 11.
The top opposition leaders whose names were included in the charge-sheet are Amanullah Aman, opposition chief whip Zainal Abedin Farroque, Jagpa president Shafiul Alam Pradhan, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Dr SM Zahid Hossain.
The names of six other opposition activists were dropped from the charge-sheet as their involvement was not proved during the investigation.
In the charge-sheet, it had been alleged that the accused damaged a number of vehicles and blasted crude bombs during a programme of the opposition alliance near BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on the afternoon of March 11.
They also beat up policemen, hurled crude bombs on the law enforcers and tried to snatch arms from the policemen. When chased by police, the opposition activists entered the BNP central party office from where police recovered 8-10 cocktails in a raid, said the charge-sheet.
Paltan police on March 12 filed two cases against 154 leaders of the opposition alliance on charges of exploding bombs and preventing police from performing their duties.
On the day (Mar 11), police in a raid on BNP’s Nayapaltan central office arrested 157 of its leaders and workers, including acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Three of the arrested leaders — Mirza Fakhrul, Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury — were released the following day.
Source: UNB Connect
