102 more Shibir activists arrested in Chittagong

CMP additional commissioner closed

5 July 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Police yesterday picked up 102 more activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir in overnight raids in the city in connection with the Sunday's violence by Jamaat. Meanwhile, additional commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) was closed Sunday night to the police headquarters for his failure to take measures to contain the violence. CMP police arrested them hours after the arrest of 41 Jamaat-Shibir men in connection with the vandalism. The law enforcers also raided Shibir dominated students' messes at the city's Chakbazar and Chandanpur. Two separate cases were filed with Halishahar and Double Mooring police stations against the Jamaat and Shibir activists for vandalising over 100 vehicles and business establishments demanding the release of their arrested leaders. Police had arrested Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, its Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nayeb-e-Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee last week on charges of hurting religious sentiment of the Muslims. Jamaat-Shibir carried out the destructive agitation in a planned way to create panic, police sources said. Among the 143 arrestees, 103 were accused in the case filed with Double Mooring Police Station and 16 others in the case filed with Halishahar Police Station. Double Mooring police produced the arrestees before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Osman Gani yesterday afternoon seeking five-day remand for each while Halishahar police produced the 16 arrestees before the court seeking 10-day remand for each of them. The court fixed July 8 for the hearing on remands. Sources said the Jamaat-Shibir men took advantage of the absence of top CMP officials in carrying out the destruction. The vandalism took place at a time when CMP Commissioner Moniruzzaman, Deputy Commissioner (Port) Kushum Dewan and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Halishahar Police Station Humayun Kabir were on leave. Assistant Commissioner of Double Mooring Police Station SM Tanvir Arafat said police rushed to the spot within fifteen minutes of receiving information about the attack. Meanwhile, the police headquarters Sunday night closed CMP Additional Police Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal. Jalil, also an additional deputy inspector general, has been asked to report to the headquarters immediately as he went on leave on Sunday without the permission of the commissioner, said Additional Inspector General of police NBK Tripura. "He left a leave prayer on the table of the commissioner in his absence," the additional IGP said. CMP Commissioner Moniruzzaman, however, went on leave with the approval of the headquarters. Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch of police Jahangir Alam said CMP had received orders from the police headquarters regarding the closure of the additional police commissioner.