A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 154 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir in a case filed in connection with torching, vandalising vehicles and attacking police personnel in the capital last year.
Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Mainul Islam Bhuiyan of Speedy Trial Court-6 also fixed October 12 to start the trial in the case.
However, 62 of the accused including, Shibir president Delwar Hossain Sayeedi and Jamaat Assistant General Secretary Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, pleaded innocence.
Currently, Delwar and Masud are in police custody while the 60 others are on bail.
The court also cancelled bails to the other 76 accused and issued arrest warrants against them as they failed to appear before it yesterday.
Of the 154 accused, the rest have been absconding since the case was filed with Motijheel Police Station on February 13, 2013.
On that day, the activists of Jamaat and Shibir carried out mayhem in different parts of the capital after they had been barred from holding rallies.
At one point, they attacked several policemen in Agargaon, Paltan, Dainik Bangla intersection, Baitul Mukarram, Fakirapool and Motijheel areas.
They had brought out those rallies, without taking permission from police, to demand the release of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, facing charges of crimes against humanity.
They also demanded International Crimes Tribunal, which is trying the case against Sayedee, be dissolved.
Source: The Daily Star
