Court frames charges against 132 Jamaat-Shibir men

A Rangpur court on Wednesday framed charge against 132 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir in a case for petrol bomb attack on a passenger bus in January this year.

The case was filed with Mithapukur Police Station on January 14 last year, accusing the Jamaat-Shibir men of hurling a petrol bomb on a passenger bus that left six people killed in Jaygirhat area under Mithapukur upazila on the day.

Judicial Magistrate Md Shafiul Alam sent the case to Rangpur District and Sessions Judge's Court for trial, which is expected to begin on July 22, court sources said.

On June 10, Sub-Inspector Md Nazrul Islam of Mithapukur Police Station, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the court.

Md Enamul Haque, Mithapukur upazila unit ameer of Jamaat, Md Abul Baset Marzan, a leader of the upazila unit of Jamaat and vice chairman of the upazila parishad, Md Hafizur Rahman, a former Shibir leader are among the accused.

SI Nazrul said Md Hafizur Rahman gave confessional statement before the court under Section 164. Of the accused, 49, including Md Hafizur Rahman, are now in jail while the remaining 83 are still at large.

Four people were killed and at least 20 others injured in the bomb attack on the passenger bus in Jaygirhat area during the countrywide non-stop blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Jamaat-Shibir men waylaid the Dhaka-bound bus of Khalil Special from Ulipur upazial in Kurigram district around 2:00am and hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle, leaving four passengers dead on the spot and injuring 24 others.

Later, two passengers succumbed to their burn injuries at hospital.