Court Correspondent :The Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka on Wednesday issued warrant for the arrests of BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia and 27 other BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists in a case filed in connection with arson attack on a passenger bus at Jatrabari in the capital during the BNP led alliance’s blockade on January 23 last year. Judge Mohammad Quamrul Hossain Molla of the court passed the order accepting the charge sheet against 38 people submitted by Jahidul Islam, a Sub-Inspector of Jatrabari Police Station.Besides, the court asked the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jatrabari Police Station to submit a progress report on April 27 about the arrests of the accused. The 27 others against whom arrest warrant have been issued are leaders and activists of BNP. They include Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Salahuddin Ahmed, Barkatullah Bulu, Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel and Habibunnnabi Khan Sohel. Of the 38 accused, nine are BNP leaders, including MK Anwar, who secured bail from the court earlier in the case.On January 23 last year, at least 31 people suffered burn injuries after miscreants hurled two petrol bombs into a bus in Jatrabari intersection. One of the injured, later, died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.Sub-Inspector of Jatrabari Police Station KM Nuruzzaman filed two cases against 69 people, including the BNP Chief in two cases- one for killing and another for hurling petrol bombs under the Special Powers Act on January 24, making Khaleda the mastermind of the attack.She has been made accused of ‘conspiring and instigating’ the arson attack that left one dead and at least 30 people burnt when the bus was firebombed at Jatrabari’s Katherpool on January 23 last year amid the BNP’s nationwide transport blockade.Later, Detective Branch Sub-Inspector submitted the charge sheets against Khaleda Zia and 37 others in the two cases to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka on May 6, last year.
