Staff Reporter :
Police filed three separate lawsuits against several hundred BNP men, including its senior leader Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, over Tuesday’s attack on cops and snatching of two of their activists from prison van near the High Court.
Two cases were filed with Shahbagh and Ramna Police Station accusing about 700-800 activists and leaders of the BNP including its Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Abul Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, confirmed filing of the lawsuits to The New Nation saying BNP men have been accused under several sections of law including obstructing performance of official duty, attacking police, destroying state property, disrupting law and order situation.
Ramna Police Station’s OC Kazi Moinul Hossian told The New Nation that the lawsuit was filed under Special Powers Act against more than a hundred BNP men including its Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy.
Hundreds of BNP workers swooped on police and snatched two of their fellows who were detained. Three policemen were also injured and a prison van vandalized in the attack.
The incident took place around 3:00pm when the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was crossing the area on her way to Gulshan residence from a court at Bakshibazar.
Gayeshwar was arrested at 9:30pm from in front of Police Plaza on charges of “plotting” an attack on policemen near the Supreme Court for snatching two party activists from a prison van, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told media.
BNP activists also snatched firearms from two policemen and dismantled them during the attack that left seven cops wounded.
“We arrested Gayeshwar after getting specific evidence that he gave instructions for attacking policemen,” said the DMP chief.
Abdus Salam Azad, BNP’s Assistant Organising Secretary, said, a police van intercepted Goyeshwar’s microbus when he was returning home from party chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office.
In an instant media briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan office, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi condemned Goyeshwar’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Plainclothes policemen also picked up BNP’s Assistant Organising Secretary Aninda Islam Amit from his Shantinagar house around midnight, said Shamsuddin Didar, an official of BNP’s press wing.
Amit’s father Tariqul Islam is a BNP Standing Committee member.
Police also raided houses of BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Mannan, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel, Shafiul Bari Babu, president of BNP’s Swecchasebak Dal, Dhaka Metropolitan BNP unit’s Ahsan Ullah Hasan and Juba Dal (Jinjira) President Mamun on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday night, RAB picked up Anisur Rahman Talukder Khokon, Mass Education Affairs Assistant Secretary of BNP’s Executive Committee, from Ramna area.
RAB admitted arresting him yesterday on charges of plotting subversive activities but did not say from where he was arrested.
