Court frames charges against ex-BNP MPs
A Kushtia court has framed charges against two former BNP lawmakers and 12 BNP activists in a case filed for attacking a meeting of journalists in Kushtia on May 29, 2006.
The two BNP leaders are Shahidul Islam, also ex-president of Kushtia district unit BNP, and Syed Mehdi Ahmed Rumi, former general secretary of the unit.
Kushtia Chief Judicial Magistrate's court framed the charges on Tuesday in presence of the accused and fixed November 1 for hearing.
According to the case proceedings, a group of BNP cadres launched an attack on a meeting of journalists on Kushtia Public Library ground on May 29, 2006.
Kushtia Reporters Unity organised the meeting to protest the filing of false extortion cases against three local journalists by Shahidul and two BNP activists loyal to the former lawmakers.
At least 25 journalists including the then Bangladesh Federal Journalists Union president and Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Omar Faruk, Farazi Azmol Hossain and Saiful Islam were injured in the attack.
Following the incident, the journalists went to Kushtia Police Station to file a case but the police refused to accept it. Later, a case was filed with the same police station on April 25, 2007 against 22 BNP leaders and activists in connection with the incident.
Police arrested BNP cadres Hasan Jamal and Ariful Islam Sumon and submitted charge sheet against 14 BNP leaders and activists on September 29, 2007.
Sources said Daily Manabzamin ran reports on the wrongdoings of the two BNP leaders and their followers, which angered them.
The then BNP lawmaker Shahidul at a programme at Rabindra Kuthibari on May 8, 2006 abused Manabzamin's staff reporter Hasan Jahid and threatened him with dire consequences.
When some journalists including the then Kushtia correspondent of Samakal Munshi Torikul Islam and Jugantar correspondent Al Mamun Sagar came to his aid, Shahidul also threatened them.
Later, Hasan, Torikul and Al Mamun filed three general diaries with Kushtia Police Station seeking security.
Following the incident, Shahidul filed a case with Bheramara Police Station on May 9, while two BNP activists lodged two cases with Kushtia Police Station the same day against the three journalists on charge of demanding Tk 25,000 from them.
The journalists fled the district and took shelter in the capital following repeated police raids on their houses.
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