Barkatullah, 22 other BNP leaders face arrest warrant

A Dhaka court on Sunday issued a warrant for the arrest of 23 Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists, including its joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu, in a sabotage case with Ramna police station, reports UNB. 

M Kamrul Hossain Mollah, judge of the Metropolitan Session's Court, passed the order taking cognisance of the charge-sheet.

It ordered the officer-in-charge of Ramna police station to submit a report on 27 March complying with the arrest warrant.

The warranted leaders include BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, chairperson's personal secretary Shimul Biswas, BNP leaders Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Shafiul Bari, Mir Sharafat Ali and Shirin Sultana.

In the case, 17 BNP leaders were, earlier, granted bail and one kept in the jail.

According to the case statement, a group of miscreants torched a passenger-carrying bus in front of National Bank branch in city's Malibagh area under Ramna police station on 3 February, 2015 during the indefinite blockade programme enforced by the BNP-led 20 party alliance.

Following the incident, police filed a case under the Explosive Substances Act and Special Power Act.

Later in March, 2015, police submitted the charge sheets accusing 41 people in the case under the Explosive Substances Act and Special Power Act.