Charge framed against 39 BNP men for vandalizing

Court decision.

A Dhaka court today framed charges against 39 BNP leaders and activists in a case filed for vandalizing vehicles and assaulting policemen during a protest procession in the capital in October 2017.

Jubo Dal President Sultan Salauddin Tuku, BNP's Information and Research

Secretary Azizul Bari Helal and Joint Secretary General Habib-Un-Nabi Khan Sohel are among the accused people.

Sohel, Helal and 47 others, now on bail, pleaded not guilty after Additional Chief

Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain read out the charges to them. Earlier in the day, the court dismissed petitions seeking their acquittal from the charges and fixed February 6, 2023 for the trial to begin.

According to the case statement, it was alleged that around 11:15am on October 28, 2017, a group of BNP leaders and activists, led by Tuku, held a rally in front of BNP’s Central Office in Paltan area when the motorcade of its Chairperson was crossing the area. They allegedly vandalized vehicles, assaulted policemen and prevented them from discharging their duties. In the attack, several policemen, including the complainant of the case, were injured, the statement added. Following the incident, Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam of Paltan Police Station lodged the case against Tuku, Sohel, Helal and 23 others.

Sub-Inspector Somen Kumar Barua of the police station, and also the Investigation Officer of the case, pressed charges against 40, including the names of 26 accused mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR).

In the meantime, name of Shafiul Bari Babu, one of accused, was dropped from

the charges of the case, as he died earlier. - Special Correspondent