Arson case: Trial of 46 opposition men resumes after 6 months

 

BNP Acting Secretary General Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

Dhaka court on Monday resumed the trial of 46 opposition leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, for their alleged involvement in an arson incident after a six-month break.

The High Court on August 6 last year stayed proceedings of the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station for torching a bus near the Prime Minister's Office during hartal hours on April 29.
Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or-Rashid began the trial on Monday in presence of Fakhrul and 34 other accused around 10:30am.

Five lawmakers including Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon were absent today as they were busy with parliament session.
Six other accused including Jamaat-e-Islami acting ameer Maqbul Ahmad, have been absconding since the case was filed against them.
The proceedings of the case were stayed following an order of the High Court after Mirza Fakhrul filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the case on August last year.
Later, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court vacated the stay order of the HC and directed the trial court to restart the proceedings of the case.
On May 10, detectives pressed charges against Mirza Fakhrul and 45 others in the arson case.
Opposition alliances had enforced the hartal on the day to protest the disappearance of the party's organising secretary M Ilias Ali.
Soon after the filing of the case, all the opposition leaders including Mirza Fakhrul went into hiding and then surrendered before the High Court on May 7.
In line with HC directives, they surrendered before the trial court on May 16. Subsequently the court sent them to jail.
On June 7 and 14, the politicians obtained bail from the High Court and trial court.