Attack on US Envoy’s Convoy Charge sheet names 9 AL, BCL men, excludes ‘prime suspect’
Detectives did not include a prime culprit in the charge sheet submitted to a Dhaka court in January in a case filed over the attack on former US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat's convoy, the complainant alleged yesterday.
On January 20, after around two and a half years' investigation, Investigation Officer Md Abdur Rouf, inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of police, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka against nine local leaders and activists of Awami League and Chhatra League.
They are Firoz Mahmud, Naimul Hasan Rasel, Mir Amzad Hossain Akash, Sazu Islam, Razibul Islam Razu, Shahidul Alam Khan Kajol, Mozahid Azmi Tanna, Siam and Oli Ahmed Jony.
In the charge sheet, the nine were shown as fugitive accused.
On February 28, six of the accused appeared in court and secured bail, while three others are on the run now, court sources said.
Shusashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, who filed the case with Mohammadpur Police Station on August 10, 2018 following the attack, told The Daily Star yesterday, "The charge sheet of the case is totally politically motivated. Awami League man Ishtiaque Mahmud was the main culprit behind the attack, but he was not included in the charge sheet.
"A no-confidence petition will be filed with the court against the charge sheet after talking with the lawyers," the complainant said.
On August 4, 2018, the nine accused along with some 15 to 20 unidentified people gathered near the Iqbal Road residence of Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder around 11:00pm and chased the car of Marcia Bernicat, said the investigation officer in the probe report.
The accused then threw brick chips at her car, the probe report said.
Later, the accused vandalised the house of the complainant and made death threats to his wife and son, according to the charge sheet.
Contacted, Investigation Officer Abdur Rouf said yesterday, "No evidence was found against Ishtiaque Mahmud during investigation, so his name was excluded in the charge sheet."
Some 30 unidentified miscreants attacked the car of Bernicat, who was about to leave the residence of Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder around 11:00pm after attending a courtesy dinner thrown in her honour.
In a diplomatic note to the foreign ministry on August 5 that year, the United States sought a thorough investigation into the attack on the official vehicle of its ambassador in Dhaka.
The US embassy, in a note to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, also said a vehicle carrying Bernicat was attacked by a group of armed people, some of whom were on motorcycles.
Later, the ambassador's security team was able to gather the identity of two individuals of the group -- Ishtiaque Mahmud and Firoz Mahmud -- who shouted during the attack, claiming that Badrul was involved in anti-government activities, officials said referring to the US embassy's note to the metropolitan police.
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