Charges pressed against 71 BNP-Jamaat men in Bogra

Charges have been pressed against 71 BNP-Jamaat men in the case for torching a truck in the district town during the countrywide blockade enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance on January 23 this year.

Bogra Sadar Upazila Parishad vice-chairman and Jamaat Bogra town unit ameer Abedur Rahman Sohel, vice-chairman of the upazila parishad and Rajshahi divisional ameer of Jamaat's mohila  unit Sajeda Samad, Jubo-Dal Bogra town unit president Masud Rana Masud, municipality councillor and BNP leader Saju Mia, Jamaat Sadar upazila unit ameer Abdur Razzak, Chattra Dal district unit president Shahbul Alam Piplu, town unit president Mukul Sarkar, and Shibir leader Zakr Hossain Selim, are among the accused.

 Though Sub-Inspector (SI) Mosaddek Hossian of Sadar Police Station submitted the charge sheet to the Judicial Magistrate's Court in Bogra in May, the court sources disclosed it to the newsmen on June 26.

Police arrested 15 accused soon after filing of the case while the rest are still at large, said SI Mosaddek Hossian, also the investigation officer of the case. 

Law enforcers are conducting drives in different areas to arrest the charge sheeted accused, he added.

According to the case statement, BNP-Jamaat men set fire to a Kahaloo-bound truck from Gabloli near Uttara Motors in Charmatha area in Bogra town at around 7:00pm on January 23, leaving the driver Masud Sheikh, 30, and helper Jahangir Alam, 32, injured.

They were admitted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) in Bogra and later shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College (DMC). Helper Jahangir Alam later died at the hospital.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Shakiul Alam of Sadar Police Sation lodged a case, accusing 69 named and nine unnamed BNP-Jamaat men the same day.