ZI Khan Panna sees no political reason behind the case

Eminent Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist ZI Khan Panna yesterday said he did not believe the attempted murder case against him was filed for political reasons.

He said this in response to a journalist's query if he was sued for his recent criticisms of the government.

Panna was talking to reporters on the Supreme Court premises after securing bail from the High Court.

"I don't feel the case has been filed for that reason," he replied. "If the case had been filed for political reasons, I would have dealt with it enthusiastically. I would not have felt troubled. But this case has given me pain."

Citing a report published by The Daily Star yesterday, he said an unknown person who filed the case acknowledged that he did not even know him.

"So far I've learnt that a section of people, including a lawyer from Muladi in Barishal, are behind the filing of this case, although I am not involved with Barishal's politics," Panna said.

Following a petition filed by him on Sunday, the High Court bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain yesterday granted him anticipatory bail until the submission of the investigation report by police in the case.

After the court passed the bail order, Panna also told reporters that he fought for Bangladesh's independence in 1971, but never collected a freedom fighter certificate.

"I am always against the certificate for the freedom fighters as I think all the people of Bangladesh, except for the anti-liberation people, are freedom fighters. I will not tolerate any attack on the Liberation War and its spirit. And I will fight them till my last breath," he said.

Contacted, Panna told The Daily Star, "The case has been filed against me either to save the real culprits or to humiliate me. I didn't get afraid."

He also said he was even ready to sacrifice his life and would continue to stand up to injustice.

"I have nothing to lose. I am now leading an extended life [after the 1971 Liberation War]. And I will not silence my voice and conscience against injustice," he said.

Mohammad Baker, the 52-year-old plaintiff in the case, visited Khilgaon Police Station yesterday and asked Officer-in-Charge Daud Hossain to drop Panna's name from the list of accused in the investigation report.

Citing an application filed by Baker, Daud said Panna was wrongly accused "due to ignorance and by mistake".

According to the original case statement, Ahadul, the 25-year-old son of Baker, and others were protesting near Meradia Bazar on July 19 afternoon when "many of the named accused along with other unnamed BGB, police personnel and Awami League leaders and activists opened fire at the behest of some other accused".

Ahadul suffered bullet wounds in the left leg and was beaten up as he fell to the ground, according to the case dossier. He later took treatment at multiple hospitals, Baker said in the First Information Report (FIR).

Baker sells vegetables on a rickshaw van in the Banasree area. He told this newspaper on Sunday that he did not know Panna and how his name ended up on the list of accused.

"A lawyer named Jashim and some other people made the list and I just signed the FIR," Baker told The Daily Star over the phone.

Baker added he had no details of lawyer Jashim. Several attempts by this newspaper to reach the lawyer failed.

The inclusion of Panna in the list of accused raised eyebrows since he backed the student protesters during the mass uprising that toppled the Awami League regime.

Panna was among the Supreme Court lawyers who stood for a writ petitioner at the High Court on July 29, seeking orders to stop the use of bullets on the protesters during the anti-discrimination student movement.

He was also a member of a citizen's commission formed to investigate human rights violations and loss of lives during the protests.

Ain O Salish Kendra, of which Panna is the chairperson, and several other rights groups condemned the inclusion of Panna in the list of accused in the case.

A section of lawyers, including Ahsanul Karim, Zainul Abedin, MK Rahman, Shahdeen Malik, and Mohammad Shishir Manir appeared for Panna during the hearing of his bail petition.