Arson Attacks on Buses Witnesses oppose case statements

Local people and witnesses in different areas of the capital where buses were set on fire contradicted police case statements as the filing of cases against BNP leaders and activists continued.

Two more cases were filed against BNP leaders and activists on Saturday, with Mohammadpur and Khilkhet police stations, and 15 more were arrested.

At least 120 leaders and activists of the BNP on Sunday filed 13 petitions with the High Court seeking anticipatory bail in separate cases filed over arson attacks on 11 buses in the capital on November 12.

The police accused that the BNP and its associate bodies carried out arson attacks on the busses, vandalising some of them and exploding crude bombs as part of their subversive activities to thwart the by-election to Dhaka-18 constituency held on November 12.

Dhaka-18 constituency BNP candidate Jahangir Hossain, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwer Chandra Roy, BNP Central Committee member Ishraq Hossain, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal president Saiful Islam Nirob and its general secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku were among the bail seekers.

The bail petitions would be moved for hearing by the bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan on Wednesday, petitioners’ lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kazal told New Age on the court premises on Sunday.

Ruhul said that the government not only defeated the BNP candidate in the by-election but was also arresting and harassing BNP leaders and activists by implicating them in ‘politically-motivated cases’ that were filed by the police in connection with the arson attacks and vandalism.    

Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for media Walid Hossain said that 16 cases were filed over arson attacks on buses, vandalism and exploding crude bombs till Sunday evening in which 47 BNP leaders and activists were arrested.

The highest three cases were filed with Paltan police station in which nine BNP leaders and activists were arrested.

Besides, six were arrested in two cases filed with Shahbagh police station while nine each were arrested in cases with Khilkhet and Uttara Purba police stations.           

He said that the police continued their raids as many named accused were still fugitive.

The charges brought against the accused were for attempted murder by torching buses under the Penal Code, the Special Powers Act and the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Act.

In one Paltan police station case statement, police complained that a procession from the BNP office at Naya Paltan paraded adjacent areas and torched a staff bus in front of multi-storied Riz Ahmed Square.

Building security guard Md Sulaiman, however, told New Age that there was a procession that begun from the BNP office and that paraded adjacent areas, but the bus was torched by two people several minutes after the procession.

Case plaintiff and Paltan police sub-inspector Shamim Hossain said that BNP men torched the bus when they were scattered in groups after the procession and he lodged the case narrating the exact incident.

At least 11 buses were set afire at separate places in a series of arson attacks in the capital during about five hours starting from Thursday noon.

None was injured in the fire incidents, according to police and fire service officials.

Party leaders and activists said that the cases filed over Thursday’s arson attacks on buses against their activists and leaders were fabricated and aimed to repress the opposition party.

BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain told New Age that the government agencies had carried out the arson attacks and, like previous incidents, the government was blaming the BNP and lodging fictitious cases to harass BNP leaders and activists.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net