Charges pressed against 23 Magura BNP-Jamaat men

Charges have been pressed against 23 BNP-Jamaat men in a case for hurling petrol bomb at a sand-laden truck in Magura Sadar upazila during the countrywide blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance on March 21 this year.

Five labourers sustained burn injuries in the attack and later died at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The victims are Rawshan Ali Biswas, Motin Biswas, Shakil Ahmed, Yeadul Islam and Imran Ali.

Officer-in-Charge of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police Emaul Haq, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court in Magura yesterday.

District BNP general secretary Ali Ahmed, vice-president Monowar Hossain Khan, district Jamaat ameer Alamgir Biswas, general secretary Mustar Baker, Chhatra Dal central committee president Rajib Ahsan, Magura Sadar Upazila Parishad vice chairman and Sadar upazila jamaat ameer Prof Faruk Hossain, Magura district Chhatra Dal general secretary Feroz Hossain, organising secretary Abdur Rahim, and district BNP publicity secretary advocate Mizanur Rahman are among the accused.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abdus Salam filed a case with Magura  Sadar Police Station the following day, accusing 26 BNP-Jamaat and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists.

According to case statement BNP-Jamaat men hurled a petrol bomb at a Magura-bound sand-laden truck from Moghirdhal area under Shalika upazila on March 21, leaving five labourers injured. They later died at the burn unit of DMCH.

Away in Chandpur, a court here yesterday sent three BNP leaders to jail, rejecting their bail petitions in a case for arson attack on a truck that left four people killed in Sadar upazila on March 18 this year.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Muttakin Billa passed the order when the BNP leaders appeared before the court on completion of their four-week bail granted by the High Court.

They are BNP central committee member and a convener of the party's Chandpur district unit Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik, general secretary of Chandpur town unit of BNP Akhter Hossain Majhi and general secretary of the district unit of Jubo Dal Afzal Bepari.

On March 18, BNP men hurled a petrol bomb at a Khulna-bound goods-laden truck from Chittagong while it was crossing Chandrain Sadar upazila. Trucker Jahangir died on the spot and three workers--Khorshed, Rubel and Sharif--sustained burn injuries.

The injured later died at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Later, police filed a case, accusing 94 people.