Charges accepted against 130 opposition men

A Dhaka court yesterday accepted charges against 130 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance in a case over violence near the Nayapaltan central office of BNP on March 11 last year.
Among the accused are BNP leaders Joynal Abdin Farroque, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Amanullah Aman and Jatiya Gonotantrik Party chief Shafiul Alam Pradhan. All the accused are on bail now.
On August 3, Sub-Inspector Abu Zafar of Paltan Police Station submitted two charge sheets to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka, showing 25 people as prosecution witnesses.
Of the two charge sheets, one was submitted to the court for hurling crude bombs at cops and the other for assaulting law enforcers and creating panic among people at Nayapaltan area.
After scrutinising the case documents,

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Rezaul Karim accepted the charges and sent the case to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Bikash Kumar Saha for the next course of action.  
Police had filed two cases in connection with the March 11 violence, accusing the same 154 leaders and activists of the 20-party alliance in each of those.
On August 25, 147 alliance men were indicted in the other case filed for vandalising and torching vehicles during the violence.

Police on March 11 last year raided the BNP office hours after several cocktails blasted near an opposition rally in front of the office. The law enforcers picked up 157 leaders and activists of the alliance, including
Fakhrul and Khoka were freed the following day.