The police probe into the 2015 attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's motorcade in the city's Karwan Bazar has failed to identify any of the attackers though photographs of many of them were published in the media.

The BNP chief's convoy came under attack during a campaign for city corporation election in April. Two and a half years later, her motorcade was attacked twice within only four days this week in Feni. 

But what happened in the name of probing the 2015 incident is puzzling.

Khaleda's bullet-proof car was damaged in the attack, and the media exposed the identities of the attackers and their political affiliation with the ruling Awami League.

Probing the incident for more than a year, the police official concerned found no merit in the case filed by the BNP.  The official submitted the final report to a Dhaka court at the end of last year, saying the complaints in the first information report were found to be false. 

But in the same incident, the same police official found evidence against 15 BNP men and Khaleda's security personnel in a counter-case filed by a local AL leader.

The official submitted charge sheet against them to a Dhaka court on October 3 last year, and the court accepted it.

Sub-inspector Abdul Halim Mia was the investigation officer (IO) in both the cases.

Inquired whether police probe didn't find any proof of attack on Khaleda's convoy, Halim said yesterday, “Attacks were carried out by both the sides.” 

Asked if that was true, then why charge sheet was submitted in one case, not in the other, the police official said, “Why do I have to tell you that? I will only talk about this to my senior officials and the court.”

Most of the attackers on Khaleda's motorcade in the city are known faces of Karwan Bazar and Tejgaon areas. Photographs of many of them attacking her convoy with bricks and sticks were published in newspapers and aired on TV channels.

Yet, police didn't find involvement of any of them in the attack.

On April 20, 2015, around 150 ruling party men led allegedly by Chhatra League leaders swooped on the motorcade with brick chips and sticks, leaving 15 people, including BNP chief's security personnel, injured.

Six vehicles, including four from the motorcade, were damaged. Two counter-cases of attempted murder were filed with Tejgaon Police Station a day later. 

Over a hundred AL men were accused in the case filed by Khaleda's security chief Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar while around a hundred BNP men and members of the party chairperson's security force (CSF) were sued by AL's Dhaka Ward-26 President Jahirul Haque Zillu.

In the charge sheet of Zillu's case, the IO stated that AL men were holding a rally in front of Petro Bangla in support of Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral candidate Annisul Huq and councillor candidate Shamim Hasan while Khaleda was addressing another rally, around 100-150 yards away, for mayoral candidate Tabith Awal.

Some people from the BNP rally hurled brick chips at AL's “peaceful rally” and also beat up AL leaders and activists indiscriminately, the IO mentioned.

“The CSF members opened fire in a bid to kill. In the investigation, it was found that before leaving the spot, they [CSF] threatened them [AL men] with death if they went for campaigning again,” it added.

The 15 charge-sheeted accused include BNP chief's personal assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Senior Vice President of Swechchasebak Dal (Dhaka north) Azizur Rahman, Tejgaon Thana Jubo Dal Vice President Abdul Quader, and three CSF members.

But in the other case filed by the BNP, the same police official submitted a final report, saying the probe didn't find any proof of attack on Khaleda's convoy.

The IO, however, didn't mention how the vehicles in her motorcade were damaged or how the BNP men were hurt.  

Contacted on Tuesday, Fazle Elahi Akbar, the plaintiff of the case, said, “Police did not contact us. We do not know anything about the fate of the case.”

Talking to The Daily Star, Muhammad Nurul Huda, former inspector general of police, said one can file a no-confidence motion if he is not satisfied with the investigation. The aggrieved person may appeal to court for further probe by another agency. 

Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “Although this is nothing new, it shows how law enforcement agencies are becoming convenient agents of promoting political agenda of the ruling authorities.

Ruling party activists vandalise vehicles of BNP chief Khaleda Zia's motorcade at Karwan Bazar on April 20, 2015. Photo: Collected

“This happened in greater or lesser degree when the present ruling party was in opposition. Disturbing as the trend is for the future of democratic accountability, it also accelerates the process of erosion of professionalism and hence lack of public trust in such public institutions,” he added.

WHO WERE THE ATTACKERS?

Those who hurled bricks at Khaleda's motorcade and vandalised several vehicles were mostly leaders and activists of the ruling AL's associate bodies and Chhatra League men from ward-26, Tejgaon and Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, according to witnesses.

The Daily Star had identified about a dozen of the attackers from the photos and footage published by different newspapers and TV channels. Locals and sources in the BCL, the pro-AL student body, confirmed their identities. Their own Facebook pages also validated their party posts. 

These attackers were frequently seen with the then top BCL leaders, including its then president HM Badiuzzaman Sohag. They also had many photos with Sohag on their Facebook pages.

Following the incident, AL leaders claimed that traders at Karwan Bazar, who incurred losses due to the BNP-enforced blockade in early 2015, carried out the attack. Facebook page of Tejgaon thana unit BCL also claimed that the attack was a result of BNP's internal conflict.

However, the photos and the video clips say otherwise.

PROBE INTO BANGLA MOTOR ATTACK

Two days after the Karwan Bazar incident, a group of around 70 people attacked Khaleda's motorcade with wooden sticks and threw brick chips at it in Bangla Motor area.

On April 22, 2015, she was on her way to Old Dhaka for electioneering in city corporation polls.

Abdul Qaiyum, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, and six of her security personnel were injured.

A window of the sport utility vehicle carrying Khaleda and several other cars were damaged.

Qaiyum filed a case with Ramna Police Station against 50 unidentified people over the attack while Babu Hasan, a BCL leader, filed another case against some 25 anonymous people.

The investigations in both the cases are pending.

Sub-inspector Masud Zamaddar, the IO in both the cases, said the probes were taking time as the accused were not named in the cases.

No one had been arrested, he added.

Feni BNP leaders and activists claimed to have identified some of the men who attacked Khaleda Zia's motorcade on Saturday.

After analysing the video footage of the incident, they said three of the attackers were local leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League. But the BNP leaders preferred not to be named fearing reprisals.

One of them, they identified, is Osman Goni Real, president of Feni's Sharshadi union Chhatra League.

The Daily Star attempted to contact Osman over the phone, but it was switched off. This newspaper could not verify the claim independently.

Local BNP leaders also claimed to have identified two other BCL men-- Sabuj of Feni Government College, and Farhad, general secretary of Millia Madrasa unit BCL.

However, BCL leaders outright denied the allegations and put the blame on the activists of Chhatra Dal, the pro-BNP student body.

Contacted, BCL President Saifur Rahman Sohag said, "There is no way Chhatra League was involved. Some Chhatra Dal leaders, who were deprived of posts [in their organisation's committees], launched the attack … ."

Asked about the footage, he said they were doctored.

Echoing a similar view, Javed Haider, general secretary of Feni unit of BCL, said the photograph that was shown in the media was not of Osman.

"By carrying out the attack, BNP activists are trying to instigate journalists against the Awami League and Chhatra League," he told our Feni correspondent.

Feni police have been scrutinising the footage to identify the culprits involved in the attack.

Rashed Khan Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Feni Sadar Police Station, told The Daily Star that they were yet to identify anyone from the footage.

Khaleda's motorcade came under attack at Mohammad Ali Bazar of Feni on Saturday afternoon. The BNP and its archrival Awami League have been pointing fingers at each other since. Several media vehicles were vandalised in the attack.

Soon after the incident, local BNP leaders told the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir that the attack was led by Sharshadi Union Parishad Chairman Jane Alam, also a Jubo League leader.

Three days after Khaleda Zia's motorcade came under attack in Feni, two empty buses went up in flames at Mohipal in the district town just after the BNP chief's car crossed the area. 

According to party leaders, the buses were set on fire while Khaleda's convoy was passing through the place. Her car was some 30 feet from the spot.      

Police said unidentified people threw “something” at the buses causing the fire, immediately after the motorcade left Mohipal at 4:30pm.

The two busses were parked near a filling station on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, Jahangir Alam Sarkar, superintendent of police in Feni, told The Daily Star.

The arson created a commotion, and commuters as well as BNP supporters and activists who thronged the roadsides to greet their leader began to run in panic.

Later, fire service men doused the blaze; none was reportedly injured.

A number of eyewitnesses said they saw some youths hurl petrol bombs at the buses. Asked about it, the SP said he could not say for sure as probe has just begun.

Agitated BNP activists vandalised several vehicles after the incident and police picked up six persons and the drivers of the buses for interrogation.

The detainees include Nur Salam Milon, a former leader of Fazilpur union unit of Chhatra Dal, the pro-BNP student body.

The owner of one of the buses is Sramik League leader Md Milon alias Hatu Milon, said the SP. It could not be known who owned the other bus.

Around 9:00pm, Khaleda reached her Gulshan house in Dhaka safe and sound.

In a statement, she blamed the ruling Awami League for the arson and said, “The Awami League is not a modern political party. It's a shelter for criminals.”

She added that Feni town has also become a haven for thugs who did not hesitate to carry out attack on her motorcade to stop her from providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees.

The BNP chief demanded arrest and punishment of the culprits.   

Contacted, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that yesterday's arson was deliberate, aimed at disrupting Khaleda Zia's safe return to Dhaka after her successful visit to Cox's Bazar.

Claiming that the incident occurred right before the eyes of law enforcers, Fakhrul said, “It is now clear who carried out the attack ... I believe law enforcers will not have difficulties in identifying the attackers.”

The ruling AL, however, blamed it on the BNP itself.

“Khaleda Zia is trying to create an issue and that's why the party is doing these types of activities,” said AL Organising Secretary Enamul Haque Shamim.

Hurling petrol bombs is the characteristic of BNP, he said, adding that the two incidents in Feni -- on Khaleda's way to Cox's Bazar and back -- are dramas staged by her party.

BNP sources say there were fears of an attack like the one that took place in Mohammad Ali Bazar area of Feni on Saturday afternoon.

That's why hundreds of party activists and supporters gathered on roadsides, they claimed.

Law enforcers were also present in places.

Khaleda left Chittagong Circuit House at 2:15pm for Dhaka after concluding her four-day visit to see the plight of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar.

Hundreds of activists on motorcycles welcomed her as she entered Feni from Mirsarai upazila of Chittagong, said BNP Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo.

Mintoo joined the motorcade there and his car was the fourth after Khaleda's. While passing through Mohipal intersection, he saw some four to five youths leaving one of the two buses.

Then there was a bang and the bus was ablaze. The other bus caught fire in no time, said the senior BNP leader.

Kabir Hossain, senior station officer of Feni Fire Service and Civil Defence, said firefighters rushed to the spot on information.

“No one was hurt as the buses were empty,” Kabir said. However, he declined to comment about the source of the fire.

In Saturday's attack, at least 45 people were injured and some 30 cars, including several media vehicles, were damaged as 40 to 50 youths with iron rods and sticks swooped on the convoy. 

Nearly 15 journalists were assaulted even after they disclosed their professional identities.

The BNP and its archrival Awami League have since been pointing fingers at each other. However, Feni BNP leaders claimed to have identified some of the men who attacked Khaleda's motorcade that day.

After analysing the video footage of the incident, they said three of the attackers were local leaders of Chhatra League, the pro-AL student organisation. The Daily Star couldn't verify the claim independently.

Meanwhile, Chhatra Dal announced a countrywide demonstration for today.

Yesterday evening, police detained seven pro-BNP men when they vandalised public vehicles in the capital's Paltan area, said police.     

The motorcade of Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, deputy leader of parliament, came under attack allegedly by supporters of an Awami League leader on Dhaka-Khulna highway in Faridpur's Nagarkanda upazila yesterday.

Sajeda, also an AL presidium member, however, was unhurt in the attack that happened around 2:30pm, police say.

The attackers attacked the motorcade with brickbats and homemade weapons, breaking the glass of the MP's car and two other cars carrying senior police officials. But all the passengers were unharmed, ASM Nasim, officer-in-charge of Nagarkanda Police Station, told The Daily Star.

Four policemen, including the OC, were injured while trying to bring the situation under control.

Police fired a couple of rubber bullets to bring back normalcy in the area, said Nasim.

He added that the attackers were the supporters of Jamal Hossain Mia, joint secretary general of Nagarkanda upazila unit AL, who is an MP hopeful from Faridpur-2 (Saltha-Nagarkanda). Sajeda is the incumbent lawmaker in the parliamentary seat.

“We have picked up three people from the spot for interrogation,” the police official said. 

Local AL sources said Sajeda was on the way to her village home in Saltha on a two-day visit. To welcome the deputy leader of the House, her supporters took position near the Nagarkanda intersection. Some of them reportedly damaged Jamal's posters and vandalised an archway set up in support of Jamal.

Hearing the news, followers of Jamal took position in front of a filling station near Talma intersection in Nagarkanda and hurled brickbats at Sajeda's motorcade.

Contacted, Jamal told this correspondent that locals gathered in the area and staged a protest as Sajeda's supporters vandalised his archway.

Later, Deputy Commissioner of Faridpur Umay Salma Tanjia and Superintendent of Police of the district Subhash Chandra Saha visited Sajeda at her home.