17 BNP men face arrest in arson case

A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against 17 BNP leaders and activities including Salima Rahman in connection with a case filed for torching a bus in the capital's Khilgaon in 2015.

BNP leaders Barkatullah Bulu, Maruf Kamal Khan, Shimul Biswas, Habibunnabi Khan Sohel, Shirin Sultana, Mir Sarafat Ali Safu and former city corporation ward commissioner MA Quayum are among them.

BNP leaders MK Anwar, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Mosaddak Ali Falu and journalist leader Shawkat Mahmud are now on bail while Sumon Ahmed is in jail.

After accepting the charges against 24 including the 17, Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order.

The court directed officer-in-charge of Khilgaon Police Station to submit by February 26 on execution of arrest warrants.

According to the case statement, a group of BNP men torched a vehicle of Great Turag Paribahan on Biswa road near Khilgaon flyover on January 30, 2015. The attack left four passengers burnt. Nazrul Islam, owner of the bus, filed the case with the station the same day.

Police Inspector Amwar Hossain of the station and also the investigation officer of the case submitted the charge sheet against MK Anwar, Falu and 22 others on May 19 last year.