21 BCL men charged for Bishwajit killing

This December 9 photo shows activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League beating up tailor Bishwajit Das during a road blockade programme of the BNP-led 18-party alliance. Photo: STAR

Detectives on Tuesday pressed charges against 21 for their alleged involvement in the killing of tailor Bishwajit Das in old part of Dhaka during a political demonstration on December 9.

All the 21 accused are activists of Jagannath University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, Bangla daily Prothom Alo quoted Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch of police, as saying.

Only seven of the 21 are now behind the bars. Four of them have already made confessional statements before the court regarding their link with the murder.

Police dropped the names of four other arrestees saying they did not find any proof of their link with the incident.

Bishwajit Das, 24, proprietor of Amantron Tailors in Shakharibazar area in Sutrapur, was stabbed and beaten to death during a road blockade programme of the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

Tajul Islam, an inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of police who is investigating the case, submitted the charge sheet before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka.

Forty-one persons have been made prosecution witness.

Seven accused were earlier also arrested for their alleged involvement with the killing.

They are Mahfuzur Rahman, HM Kibria, Quiyum Miah Tipu, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Saiful Islam, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam alias Shakil and Emdadul Haque Emdad.

The four whose names have been dropped are: Mamun Rashid, Faruk Hossain, Mosle Uddin Moslem and Kazi Shahiduzzaman Tuhin.

THE KILLING

In the morning of December 9, a number of cocktails exploded in front of Bahadur Shah Park as the opposition 18-party alliance enforced a road blockade programme.

Hearing the sounds, BCL men of Jagannath University unit rushed to the spot wielding sticks and chased some people suspecting them to be pickets.

At one stage, they caught Bishwajit, who was passing through the area, and gave him a good beating.

Bishwajit was rushed to Mitford Hospital in critical condition where he died later.

Family members claimed that Bishwajit was not involved with any political party.