379 Jamaat-BNP men charged

Police yesterday pressed charges against 379 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists for attacking and looting government offices and Awami League men's houses in Nandigram upazila following the war crimes verdict against Delawar Hossain Sayedee in March last year.   
Newly elected Nandigram upazila Chairman Nurul Islam Mondal, also ameer of the upazila unit Jamaat-e-Islami, is among the main accused.
Bogra police submitted three charge sheets to the Judicial Magistrate's Court in three cases in this connection.
On March 3 last year, a rumour was spread in Nandigram that Sayedee's face was seen on the moon. At this, thousands of Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men equipped with lethal weapons attacked the Nandigram Police Station, vandalised and looted at least 16 government offices and set the upazila chairman's house and two government vehicles afire.  
The rumour was spread allegedly by Jamaat-Shibir activists, after a war crimes tribunal sentenced Sayedee, also a top Jamaat leader, to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
Rezaul Ashraf Zinnah, the immediate past Nandigram upazila chairman and also president of the upazila unit Jubo League, and two others filed the cases on the same day.
Other main accused include Monjurul Islam, secretary of the upazila unit Jamaat, Anawarul Haque, its organising secretary, and Fazle Rabbi Toha, BNP district unit religious affairs secretary.
Contacted, Superintendent of Bogra Police Mozammel Haque said they would soon conduct drives to arrest the accused.
Over the same rumour, the Jamaat-Shibir men ran amok also at other places of Bogra on the same day.
At least 13 people were killed as the Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men clashed with police in Bogra on the day.  
 Some 56 cases were filed against more than 1 lakh BNP-Jamaat men in connection with these attacks.