A total of 25 to 30 BNP leaders and activists, including party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, have sought bail from a Dhaka Court on Sunday, in three cases filed in Motijheel and Paltan Police Stations over the recent clash between BNP men and police in the capital's Naya Paltan area.
Judge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, fixed Monday (December 12) for the hearing on the bail petitions, said Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, a counsel for the BNP leaders.
BNP's Publicity Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Dhaka Metropolitan South unit Convener Abdus Salam, former Organizing Secretary Fazlul Haque Milon, Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon and former MP Selim Reza Habib are among the bail seekers, the lawyer added.
The five were arrested on Dec 7 in the wake of a clash between BNP activists and law enforcers. The party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul and Standing Committee member Abbas were arrested two days later on charges of plotting and inciting attacks on the police. A court later sent them to jail after turning down their bail pleas.
A special petition was filed as the BNP leaders are seeking bail less than seven days after their initial pleas were rejected
In order to re-apply for bail within seven days of a petition being rejected, a special application has to be filed, said Advocate Zainal Abedin Mesbah, another lawyer for the BNP leaders.
In the early hours on December 9, a team of Detective Branch of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city. Later they were shown arrested in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act with Paltan Police Station over December 7 clash.
On Wednesday 7, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Naya Paltan central office ahead of its December 10 rally.
Police later started three cases against up to 2,000 people over the incident. They also cordoned off the party office.
