Order on Khaleda\\\'s chargesheet acceptance Aug 31

A Dhaka court will decide on August 31 whether the chargesheets submitted against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in two arson cases will be accepted or not. The Sub-Inspector (SI) of the city’s Jatrabari Police Station filed the two cases over an arson attack on a bus that burned to death several people and injured many during the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s nationwide blockade and hartals earlier this year. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmood Adnan on Sunday fixed August 31 for passing order over the charges. Court sources said if the chargesheets are accepted, the hearing on charge framing against the BNP chief and 37 others will continue while arrest warrant will be issued against the fugitives. On January 23, at least 29 people suffered burn injuries after suspected supporters of a nationwide nonstop blockade and hartal hurled two firebombs at a ‘Glory Paribahan’ bus at Katherpul in Jatrabari around 9.30pm on its way to Rupganj from Gulistan. Several injured people died after they were admitted to the burn and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. SI KM Nuruzzaman filed the two cases – one for killing and the other for hurling petrol bombs – under the Special Powers Act on January 24, making Khaleda the mastermind of the incident. According to the case statements, the BNP chairperson on January 5 called an indefinite blockade and asked her leaders and activists to paralyse the country until the government was ousted. The Detective Brunch (DB) of police submitted three separate charge-sheets to the CMM against Khaleda Zia and 37 others on May 6 and May 19 in the case filed under the Special Powers Act in connection with the incident. The other accused include BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Dhaka City unit BNP member secretary Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Khaleda’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, BNP central leaders Azizul Bari Helal, Sultan Salauddin Tuku and Swechchhasebak Dal secretary Sharafatullah Safu, according to a news agency.