Shahjahan Miah is widely held responsible for the Kansat tragedy last year.

The others surrendered yesterday are Aynal Haq and Shafikul Islam. The case was filed by one Panaullah on April 23 for extorting Tk 75,000 from him.

The three were sent to jail about an hour after they appeared before the court at around 11:30am.

The district and sessions judge Hrishikesh Saha in a swift move fixed the charge framing date today, as trial of the case was included under the Emergency Power Rules of 2007.

The court directed the district jail authority to arrange Shahjahan's stay in jail in accordance with jail code when his lawyers appealed for his division.

Tight security measures were taken in and around the court sensing their surrender yesterday. It was also the first day of the trial of the extortion case.

Charge-sheet of the case was submitted on June 7 accusing the three after several witnesses provided judicial statements supporting the allegations.

Shahjahan had been absconding in all five cases filed against him. Of them, one is for ordering criminal activities, two for extortion and the others for cheating and misappropriation of money of people. Charge-sheets in four cases have already been submitted.

SHAHJAHAN'S ROLE BEHIND KANSAT TRAGEDY
Villagers of Kansat under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj blame Shahjahan for his active role behind the police atrocities on them in the early 2006. He is still boycotted in Kansat.

Envied and angry at the sudden rise and popularity of Kansat Pally Biddyut Unnayan Sangram Parishad and its convenor Golam Rabbani as they struggled for electricity, Shahjahan, also former chairman of parliamentary standing committee for home affairs pressurised the police to arrest Rabbani.

Police and BNP cadres attempted to suppress the consequent outrage of the power subscribers by unleashing atrocities that left 17 innocent villagers shot dead and several hundred injured and tortured.

It was also alleged that the local administration could not take any step to mitigate the subscribers' miseries due to Shahjahan's stance against the people's movement.