Fakhrul, 32 others charged with arson

Paltan police yesterday pressed charges against BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 others in a case filed in connection with torching a vehicle in January last year.

Sub-Inspector Mominul Haque, who is the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka, showing 37 people as prosecution witnesses.

The case was lodged with Paltan Police Station for allegedly vandalising and torching a vehicle in front of Rajuk Bhaban on January 6 last year.

BNP leaders -- Barkatullah Bulu, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Amanullah Aman, Habibunnanbi Khan Sohel and Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas -- are among the accused.

Of the accused, Shimul, Sohel, Bulu, Khokon and 17 others were shown fugitives and the IO appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants for them.

Fakhrul, Aman and 10 others are now on bail in the case.

Court sources say the hearing on whether the charges will be taken into cognisance will be held on April 22.

ARREST WARRANT FOR KHOKA

Another Dhaka court issued arrest warrants against former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and 23 other BNP men in a case filed for throwing petrol bombs at a passenger bus in November 2013.

Earlier in the day, Judge Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court accepted the charges against 37 BNP leaders and activists, including the 24.

Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas, Aman and Gayeshwar are among the accused. 

The case was filed with Ramna Police Station for throwing petrol bombs at the bus that left one dead at the city's Malibagh intersection on November 30, 2013.

On August 17 last year, detectives submitted two charge sheets -- one for blasting petrol bombs and the other for killing a person -- against Fakhrul and 36 others.