Charges pressed against 207 BNP-Jamaat men

Police on Sunday pressed charges against 207 BNP-Jamaat men in the case for attacking the convoy of lawmaker and incumbent Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor in Sadar upazila on December 14, 2013.

Sub-Inspector Mostafizar Rahman, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court.

Abu Helal, general secretary of Jamaat district unit, and Khairul Anam, president of Sadar upazila unit of the party, are among the charge-sheeted accused.

Jamaat activists attacked the houses of Hindu families at several villages in Polashbari and Laxmichap unions of Sadar upazila on the night of December 12, 2013, protesting the execution of Jamaat assistant secretary general Kader Molla.

The Jamaat men injured over 100 Hindus, torched around 200 houses and looted valuables.

On December 14, Asaduzzaman Noor visited the villages, talked to the affected people and gave them some assistance for their rehabilitation.

While Noor along with his party men was returning to the district town at around 4:00pm, several thousand Jamaat and BNP activists swooped on them at Ramganj Haat under Tupamari union of the upazila, leaving four activists of Krishak League, Chhattra League and Jubo League dead and many injured.

Officer-in-charge (investigation) Babul Akhter of Sadar Police Station filed a case at night, accusing 14 named and 150 unnamed BNP-Jamaat men. After investigation, the IO brought charges against 43 more people.

Of the identified accused, the bodies of three were found beside different roads in Nilphamari and Bogra districts in the first two weeks of the incident.