Bail granted for BNP leader MK Anwar

A Dhaka court yesterday granted BNP standing committee member MK Anwar bail in a case filed for an arson attack that killed a policeman near Matsya Bhaban in the capital last year.

A metropolitan magistrate passed the order after the BNP leader surrendered before it seeking bail in the case. Anwar was accompanied by his lawyer.

Thirteen policemen, including Constable Shamim Mia, were severely injured while trying to escape a petrol bomb attack on a police bus near Matsya Bhaban intersection on January 17 last year during the BNP-led alliance's three-month blockade. Shamim later died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police filed a case against MK Anwar, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Amanullah Aman and 23 others for their alleged involvement in the attack.

After an investigation, Sub-inspector Dipak Chandra Das of Detective Branch of police on June 8 submitted a charge sheet, from which names of 26 BNP leaders and activists, including MK Anwar and Rizvi, were dropped while only seven people, including BNP leader Habibunnabi Khan Sohel, were charged.

Later on September 10, the court directed Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe into the case as it found flaws in the probe by detective branch of police.