Residences of 2 HC judges attacked

Houses of two High Court judges came under attack by miscreants a day after they ordered to stop publicising BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman's statements in the media.

The attacks took place amid a countrywide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Criminals hurled two crude bombs at the Dhanmondi house of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman yesterday while the ancestral home of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque in Feni was set on fire in the early hours of yesterday.

“Two attackers on a motorcycle threw two crude bombs targeting the residence of the judge around 7:00pm,” said Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station.

One bomb exploded inside the compound of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore's residence, which is next to Justice Rahman's residence, while another exploded on a wall inside that compound where two policemen were stationed, he added.

“The cops fired two shotgun pellets but could not detain them as they fled immediately after charging the bombs,” the OC said.

Both the justices were not at home during the attack. None was reported injured in the incident, said Bashirul Haque, operation officer of Dhanmondi Police Station.

Meanwhile, unidentified miscreants carried out the arson attack on the village home of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque, the other judge of the HC division bench.

None was hurt in the fire, reports our Feni correspondent.

The house is located at Mohammadpur village in Dhalia union of Feni Sadar upazila.

Police detained Nizamuddin Patowary, general secretary of Dhalia union unit Jubo Dal, in this connection.

Criminals set ablaze the wall of the tin-shed house of Justice Hoque after pouring kerosene, said police and locals. The fire partially gutted the kitchen at the front of the L-shaped house.

Mehedi Mahmud, cousin of Justice Hoque, said the judge last visited his home on March 26 last year to attend a family programme.

“He [Justice Hoque] usually stays one or two days when he comes here. The house remains locked for the rest of the year,” he added.

Saiful Haque, additional superintendent of police in Feni, said appropriate actions will be taken against the perpetrators after investigation.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday strongly condemned the bomb and arson attack on the residence and village home of the High Court judges.

He said, “It [the attack] only shows the terrorist nature of the BNP and Tarique Rahman. Such terrorist acts will not, in any way, shake the confidence or the courage of our independent judiciary.”

On Wednesday, Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman ordered the government to stop publicising Tarique Rahman's statements in the media following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Nashreen Siddiqua Lina.

Houses of Supreme Court and High Court judges also came under attack allegedly by the activists of Jamaat at the end of 2013.

Justice SK Sinha's Moulvibazar home, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir's Chapainawabganj home and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim's Noakhali home were attacked in December 2013.

All of the judges dealt with war crimes cases.