Remand hearing of 15 BNP men over Paltan clash Thursday
They are accused of assaulting police, making provocative slogans and vandalism
Some 15 BNP activists, who were arrested in a case filed over a clash with cops in Dhaka's Paltan area, will be produced before the court Thursday with a seven-day remand plea by police.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Hasibul Haque on Wednesday sent the arrestees to jail as lower courts in Dhaka suspended trial proceedings to mourn the death of a senior lawyer, said Mohiuddin, lawyer of the BNP men.
On Tuesday afternoon, police and BNP activists locked into a clash that spread from the BNP Paltan party office to Nightingale crossing at Bijoynagar and adjacent areas. Police said BNP activists attacked them without any provocation after a rally in the morning.
But BNP blamed police for the clash saying cops obstructed a procession brought out by the party men, and arrested them.
On Tuesday night, police filed a case with Paltan Police Station naming 97 leaders and activists of BNP's associate organisations – Juba Dal, Chhatra Dal and Swechasebak Dal – and 1,500-2,000 unnamed people.
The accused included Juba Dal President Saiful Islam Nirob, General Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Chhatra Dal President Fazlur Rahman Khokon, General Secretary Iqbal Hossain Saymol, Swechasebak Dal President Mostafizur Rahman and Secretary Abdul Qader Bhuiyan.
Faruk Hossain, a spokesperson at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Business Standard that the case was filed on charges of assaulting police, making provocative slogans and vandalism.