Fakhrul, Abbas sent to jail

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected bail pleas by three BNP leaders, including acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and sent them to jail in three murder cases linked to pre-polls anti-government protest.
Meanwhile, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia protested and condemned locking up of opposition leaders in jail.
The order came after Fakhrul, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas and Dhaka city unit's member secretary Abdus Salam surrendered before the trial court, complying with a Supreme Court directive.
In the cases filed with Ramna Police Station, the three had been charged with provoking terrorism and arson attacks on buses during the opposition's agitation in the capital's Bangla Motor, Paribagh close to Ruposhi Bangla Hotel, and Malibagh. The cases were later transformed into murder cases when four victims of the incidents, including a policeman, died.  
This is the fourth time Fakhrul has been sent to jail since the Awami League-led grand alliance assumed office in 2008 and the first time after the party again came to power through the January 5 national election.  

The three BNP leaders were granted anticipatory bails by the High Court on January 20.
Following government appeals against the bails, a five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Muzammel Hossain scrapped the HC order and asked them to surrender before the trial court.
Appearing in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan yesterday, the three leaders appealed for bail.
In response, the court said it had no jurisdiction to grant them bail in the murder cases since the Appellate Division had cancelled their anticipatory bails.
Pro-BNP lawyers then brought out a procession on the court premises, protesting the rejection of the bail petitions.
KHALEDA'S PRESS STATEMENT
Demanding immediate release of the opposition leaders, Khaleda in a statement said they had been sent to jail because they talked about democracy, upholding fundamental rights and independence of the country.
The government locked up BNP leaders in jail to hold on to power by force, she said.  
Meantime, BNP announced that it would stage demonstrations today in the capital and other city headquarters, districts and upazilas across the country in protest at the rejection of bail.
BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed announced the protest programme at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.