32 BNP leaders, workers charged

Police have pressed charges against 32 BNP leaders and activists in an arson case, including party Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman and former lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed.

Wari Police Station Sub-inspector Sarwar Jahan, also investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka on Sunday, showing 33 people as prosecution witnesses.

BNP leaders Habib-Un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Shimul Biswas, Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, Azizul Bari Helal and Mir Sarafat Ali Safu are among the accused.

Of the 32 accused, 21 are now on bail. Aman is in jail. Salauddin, Maruf Kamal, Shimul Biswas, Helal, Safu and five others were shown fugitives in the charge sheet. The IO had appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants for them.

According to the case statement, on February 3 a group of BNP-led 20-party alliance men torched a bus by throwing petrol bombs at it in front of Hotel Super at Wari in the capital.

Meantime, a Dhaka court yesterday adjourned until November 29 the hearing on charge framing against BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 45 others in another arson case.

The case was lodged in connection with torching a vehicle in front of the Prime Minister's Office on April 29, 2012.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Yunus Khan passed the order after lawyers for Fakhrul and 38 other accused submitted separate petitions seeking adjournment.

Only three of the accused, including BNP leader ASM Hannan Shah, were present in the court yesterday.