Dhaka, May 10 A Dhaka court will give its decision on May 13 over police petition seeking arrest warrants against BNP's acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 44 others for their alleged role in torching a bus in front of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) during the Apr 29 general strike.
Metropolitan speedy trial magistrate Erfan Ullah fixed the date on Thursday after Detective Branch inspector Nurul Amin, who is investigating the case, pressed the charges against them with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Amin argued that the police investigation found their involvement in the violence and that is the reason for seeking their arrest in the case filed by Tejgaon police hours after the arson attack on Apr 29. The charges said the accused leaders of the BNP-led 18-party alliance had backed the strikers who allegedly set the bus on fire in front of the PMO.
The opposition immediately rejected the charges on Thursday, saying they are politically motivated and aimed at derailing the ongoing anti-government movement.
The case was filed amid growing tension on the street over the disappearance of BNP's organising secretary M Ilias Ali who has remained traceless since Apr 18. In April, the BNP-led opposition alliance enforced five days of general strike to demand that the government return Ilias amid accusation that security agencies have 'abducted' him. The government has denied the allegation, saying that it is a plot by the opposition to create anarchy in the country.
Among the accused in the Apr 29 arson case, BNP's joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was arrested and sent to jail, pending further order, while another joint secretary general Mahbubuddin Khokon was on bail until May 20.
The charge-sheeted accused also include BNP leaders MK Anwar, Hannan Shah, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Mirza Abbas, Khandoker Mosharraf Hossain, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kuddus Talukdar Dulu, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Fazlul Haque Milon, Sharif Uddin Chowdhury Anne, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Liberal Democratic Party president Oli Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami acting chief Mokbul Hossain, BJP President Andalib Rahman Partha and Swechchhasebak Dal president Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel.
Defence lawyer Masud Ahmed on Thursday told bdnews24.com that if convicted in the case, one may face up to two years in jail. According to the law, there is a 30-day deadline to finish the case as it was filed under the speedy trial act. The investigator may get an extension of 15 days if it is not concluded within the first deadline.
The fate of the leaders, however, remains uncertain as the High Court on Monday gave a split verdict on the bail appeal by Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other accused.
They verdict, however, gave them respite 'for the time being' for seven days as the judges ordered police not to harass them.
After spending a week in 'hiding', senior BNP leaders including Fakhrul, vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka appeared for pre-arrest bail before the bench of justices Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Mohammad Nazrul Islam Talukder on Monday.
The judges delivered two different orders about Fakhrul and Khoka after hearing the bail pleas in two cases that also include explosions of crude bombs at the Secretariat during the general strike on Apr 29 and 30.
Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, the senior judge of the bench, granted them bail until a police report is submitted. But Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder ordered the accused to appeal for bail within seven days in the trial court.
At this stage, the lawyer for the BNP leaders, Moudud Ahmed, on Monday said police may harass them in these seven days despite the court order for them to surrender in the trial court.
He sought the court's directive on the matter, to which the bench said, "Since the matter will go to a third bench now, you [BNP leaders] are getting seven days."
The judges also ordered police not to 'harass' the BNP leaders.
The bench also split its judgement regarding the case registered with the Shahbagh Police Station over the bomb explosions at the Secretariat.
Following the order, Moudud said, "This is the first victory in the legal battle. Now, they [BNP leaders] will be out on bail until the Chief Justice forms the third bench and that bench delivers the order."
Additional attorney general MK Rahman had told bdnews24.com: "BNP leaders have got some time for now with the court's order. The matter will now go to the Chief Justice. Then it will be transferred to the third bench. A decision will be made there."
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