Charges against 91 pressed

Police yesterday pressed charges against 91 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in cases filed for creating anarchy and violence on December 18 in the city's Paltan, Motijheel and Shahbagh areas.
The accused include Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal, its General Secretary Saiful Alam Nirob, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) President Sultan Salauddin Tuku, JCD General Secretary Amirul Islam Alim, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal President Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel and its General Secretary Sarafat Ali Safu.
Of the accused, 58 were named in the case filed with Paltan Police Station, 27 in the case filed with Shahbagh Police Station while six were named in the case filed with Motijheel Police Station for damaging vehicles, halting traffic, causing anarchy and preventing police from discharging their duties.
Muktar Hossain, sub-inspector of Paltan Police Station and investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against 58.
It showed 14 people including Alal, Tuku and Sohel as fugitives, even though several of them got ad-interim bail from the High Court. The remaining 44 who were arrested earlier are now in jail custody.
Shahbagh and Motijheel police also submitted their charge sheets. All cases were filed under the Speedy Trial Act.
Earlier on December 18, several homemade bombs went off in the capital's downtown as hundreds of BNP-Jamaat activists clashed with police and vandalised and torched around a dozen vehicles.
A 24-year-old man, Arifuzzaman Arif, was killed when a bomb exploded in Motijheel area.
Following the incidents, police filed 18 cases against around 7,000 leaders and activists of the opposition parties for going on the rampage.
Police also detained 289 BNP-Jamaat activists from the capital and interrogated 120 of them for six days in connection with the cases.