Arifur Rahman Rabbi :
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) had filed a charge-sheet almost two and a half years after the attack on the former US ambassador Marcia Bernicat in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.
According to the charge-sheet, the local Awami League (AL) leaders and activists carried out the attack on suspicion that she was conspiring against the government.
DB’s Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon division) Golam Mostofa Rasel told The New Nation on Friday night that police gave charge-sheet against nine about one and half months ago. The accused are fugitive after the incident. We are trying to arrest them.
According to the charge-sheet, former US ambassador was attacked while attending a dinner at Shusashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar’s house on the Iqbal Road of Mohammadpur on August 4, 2018. Local AL leaders and activists got the news that Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain and some others were conspiring against the government in the name of dinner that night.
The charge-sheet further stated that a group of leaders and activists of the local AL, BCL and its affiliates led by Naimul Hasan alias Rasel threw brickbats at the former US ambassador car. The ambassador quickly left the scene as they chased Marcia Bernicat’s car.
Later, they threw brickbats at the house of Sujan’s Secretary Badiul. They smashed window glass of the house and threatened to kill him, his wife and son Mahbub Majumder. They also pushed and struck the main gate of the house. Then they left the the spot.
The charge-sheet also mentions that Badiul filed a case with Mohammadpur Police Station on the night of August 10, 2018. The accused in the charge sheet are – Naimul Hasan alias
Rasel, Firoz Mahmud, Mir Amzad Hossain alias Akash, Md Saju Islam alias Saju, Rajibul Islam Raju, Shahidul Alam Khan Kajal, Tanna alias Tanha alias Mujahid Azmi Tanna, Siam, Oli Ahmed alias Jony and 15-20 other unidentified accused, whose names and addresses were not mentioned in the charge sheet. Same 19 people were called as witnesses in the charge-sheet of the case.
After a long investigation, the investigation officer of the case Inspector Md Abdur Rauf filed the charge-sheet on January 18 this year.
The charge-sheet further states that in 2018, various political parties and organizations carried out anti-government activities. Dr Kamal Hossain, Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam and few other hosted the farewell dinner of US ambassador Marcia Bernicat at Majumdar’s house at 12/2 Iqbal Road in Mohammadpur.
Dr Kamal and Badiul Alam harshly criticized the government at various times. The investigating officer mentioned in the charge-sheet that they used to make anti-government remarks to local and foreign media and organizations.
Earlier, beside US ambassador Marcia Bernicat, Badiul, Dr. Kamal, his wife Hamida Hossain, and former advisor to the caretaker government Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were present at the house. At that time safe road movement was going on all over the country including the capital.
