Fakhrul, 72 other BNP men charged

Paltan police yesterday pressed charges against 73 leaders and activists of the then BNP-led 18-party alliance, including BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a case filed for bomb blasts and vandalism in December 2012 during a road blockade.

Abu Zafar, sub-inspector of Paltan Police Station and also the investigating officer (IO) of the case, submitted two separate charge sheets -- one for vandalism and the other for hurling bombs at policemen -- to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

The IO said though the name of Fakhrul was not in the first information report (FIR), his involvement was found during the investigation and he was included in the charge sheets of the case.

According to the charge sheets, around 300 leaders and activists of the then BNP-led 18-party alliance brought out a procession from Fakirapool area and marched towards the BNP's Nayapaltan central office during the blockade on December 9, 2012.

At one point, the agitators threw bombs at policemen that left several policemen injured and vandalised vehicles on the streets.

Later, a case was filed with Paltan Police Station against 200 to 300 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance the same day. Thirty-seven other cases were also filed with different police stations in the capital in this connection.

Fakhrul was earlier shown arrested in the case and later got bail from the High Court. Sixty-eight others were also arrested in the case and they also got bails from different courts on different dates.

Earlier on August 5, detectives pressed charges against 41 BNP leaders including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed in a case filed for vandalism and blasting bombs on March 2 last year.