Rizvi, Ishraque face arrest warrants
Two Dhaka courts have issued arrest warrants against BNP leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Ishraque Hossain in two cases filed over vandalising vehicles and carrying out an arson attack.
Court sources said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed was already facing an arrest warrant in the case filed in September 2012 on charges of vandalising a garbage truck in the capital's Paltan area.
A court, however, on Sunday issued a fresh arrest warrant as it framed charges against him in the case in absentia.
Rizvi Ahmed faces arrest warrants in 46 cases, according to court sources.
Yesterday, another Dhaka court issued the arrest warrant against BNP leader Ishraque, a former mayoral candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation, after cancelling the bail he was granted earlier by another court.
Motijheel police had filed the case in 2020 alleging that a group of people, led by Ishraque, gathered in front of the Bangladesh Bank Colony and torched a vehicle with an intention to kill people.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order yesterday as the accused was absent during the hearing on the case.
Ishraque's lawyer Mohiuddin, however, submitted a petition seeking time saying that his client could not attend the hearing as he was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Badda.
He further said Ishraque was injured in an attack "by Chhatra League activists" while distributing leaflets near Jagannath University on Sunday.
Court sources also said a copy of the arrest warrant against Ishraque was sent to Motijheel Police Station for the next course of action.
The BNP leader was arrested in the case on April 6 this year, but was released on bail six days later.
COUNTRYWIDE DRIVE CONTINUES
A total of 1,319 people were arrested on various charges across the country in 24 hours till 6:00pm yesterday, the fifth day of a 15-day special drive.
Police during the 24-hour period conducted 2,226 operations, according to the database of the Police Headquarters.
A total of 405 cases were filed against the arrestees, Md Monzur Rahman, assistant inspector general of PHQ, told The Daily Star.
Police have so far also recovered two firearms, 25,207 yaba tablets, around 200-kgs marijuana, and 481 bottles of Phensedyl during the countrywide special drive, added AIG Monzur.
Earlier on Sunday, police picked up 1,356 people conducing 2,321 drives. Some 358 cases were filed against them, said the PHQ official.
On November 29, the PHQ directed the field-level officials to carry out a 15-day special drive across the country to ward off any untoward incident ahead of the Victory Day.
Meanwhile, Rab Director (Legal and Media Wing) Khandaker Al Moin said the force was ready to tackle any situation that might arise from the BNP's December 10 rally in the capital, reports UNB.
The Rab's bomb disposal unit, special force, dog squad and helicopter unit were on alert centering the rally.
Besides, members of Rab intelligence team will be deployed and check posts will be set up in different areas to prevent any untoward incident, he said at a press briefing at the force's Karwan Bazar media office.
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