Nayapaltan clash: Annie among 38 BNP men denied bail

A Dhaka court today rejected bail petitions of 38 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations in a case filed over the December 7 clash with policemen in the capital's Nayapaltan area.

BNP's Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie was among the accused in the case filed with Paltan Model Police Station on December 8.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain passed the order after their lawyers moved the bail petitions saying their clients were implicated in the case just for harassment.

However, the prosecution opposed the petitions saying their bail petitions should be rejected as specific allegations were brought against them.

Upon hearing both sides, the magistrate turned down the defence pleas.

The case was filed a day after the clash broke out in front of the party's Nayapaltan office on December 7. The clash left one person dead and scores of others injured.

A total of 450 BNP men, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its standing committee member Mirza Abbas, were arrested and sent to jail by a Dhaka court.

On December 8, two BNP leaders -- Amanullah Aman and Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel -- secured bail after they were produced before another Dhaka court in the same case.

On December 15, Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas were denied bail for the third time in the case.