52 BNP-Jamaat men held in Nilphamari

Law enforcers in separate drives arrested 52 BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men in six upazilas of the district on Monday night.

Of them, 18 were held in Sadar upazila, seven in Jaldhaka upazila, 11 in Dimla upazila, ten in Domar upazila, three in Kishoreganj upazila and three others in Saidpur upazila.

They were arrested in different cases, including one for planning subversive activities in the areas, said Zakaria Rahman, senior assistant superintendent of police.

Of the arrestees, Babul Hossain is a fugitive member in a case for attacking the motorcade of lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor (also present cultural affairs minister) on December 14 in 2013 and killing four ruling party men, said police.

Meanwhile, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in the district ordered sending six more BNP-Jamaat men to jail after rejecting bail prayer as they appeared before the court yesterday in the same case for attacking the motorcade of lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor.

Magistrate Motaharath Akhter Bhuyian passed the order when the six surrendered to the court.

The attackers on the motorcade of Asaduzzaman Noor killed four activists of ruling Awami League's front organisation at Ramganj Haat of Tupamari union of Nilphamari Sadar upazila.

The investigation officer of the case, sub inspector Mostafizur Rahman submitted charge sheet in the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on March 15 accusing the 207 people, all involved with the politics of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and their front organisations.

The 62 people comprise the first batch of the accused that surrendered to court after they were declared fugitive for failing to appear before the court that issued warrant against them.

On the other hand, the prime accused Abu Helal, also general secretary of district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, and the number two accused Khairul Anam, president of Sadar upazila unit of the same party, are still fugitive.

On the night of December 12 in 2013, several thousand BNP-Jamaat activists protesting the execution of war criminal Jamaat's assistant secretary general Abdul Kader Molla attacked the houses of minority Hindu community in several villages of Polashbari and Laxmichap unions in Sadar upazila, mentioned the charge sheet.