Bangladesh police charge BNP leader Tarique with arson attack
Police yesterday pressed charges against BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman for “masterminding” an arson attack on a bus in Gazipur in January.
Sub-inspector Enamul Huq of Joydevpur Police Station, also the investigation officer of the case filed over the incident, submitted the charge sheet against 32 people to a Gazipur court, reports our correspondent there.
According to the charge sheet, Tarique along with his personal assistant Lutfur Rahman Badal and Monzurul Ahsan Rony, son of suspended mayor of Gazipur City Corporation MA Mannan, masterminded the attack, said Harun-ur-Rashid, superintendent of Gazipur police.
He was addressing a press briefing at his office hours before the submission of the charge sheet.
He said Tarique, Lutfur and Rony were not named as accused in the First Information Report. However, Tarique and 20 others were shown fugitives in the charge sheet. So far, 11 people have been arrested in the case.
This is the first time that Tarique, elder son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, has been charge-sheeted in a criminal case during the tenure of the Awami League. Currently, he is facing several corruption and defamation lawsuits as well.
Referring to the charge sheet, the SP said on January 21 BNP leaders and activists set a bus on fire near Tarique Zia intersection in Monipur Khaspara area of Gazipur during a hartal enforced by the opposition alliance.
Later, a sub-inspector of Joydevpur Police Station filed the case, under the special power act, accusing 18 named and 45 unnamed people.
According to Harun, police investigation found the involvement of Tarique, who has been staying in London since 2008, in a conspiracy to topple the government.
Tarique had met Badal and Rony at his London residence and planned to carry out subversive activities in different parts of the country, including in Gazipur, during the opposition's countrywide blockade and hartals after the January 5 elections, boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.
Meanwhile, the BNP yesterday said submitting a charge sheet against Tarique was “nothing but a farce”.
“Tarique Rahman has not been involved in the country's local politics for long. Then how is it possible for him to be engaged in any subversive activities?” said BNP Spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon.
Talking to The Daily Star, he also alleged that the government was using law enforcement agencies to malign Tarique.
Criticising the Gazipur SP, Ripon claimed that the police official was actively involved in Chhatra League politics in the past and now working as per the government's wishes.