Police arrested a lawyer in a case over attempt to murder assistant attorney general (AG) Md Shaifur Rahman Siddique Saif on Friday night.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) additional deputy commissioner Shah Alam Md Aktarul Islam confirmed Prothom Alo on Saturday morning. He told Prothom Alo the arrested lawyer was Osman Chowdhury and detective branch police also arrested several others in this case.
DMP’s Ramna Zone (detective branch) additional deputy commissioner Azharul Islam said four people have been arrested in Gulshan in the case over attempt to murder Shaifur Rahman Siddique.
Voting for the election to SCBA, the association of lawyers at the top court, was held on 6-7 March to elect the new executive committee for the 2024-25 period.
Vote counting stalled as police took custody of the ballot boxes after chaos broke out over whether the counting should be held at night following the disagreements among several candidates, leaving several lawyers injured.
Ballot sorting, however, ended after 2:00am on Friday despite the prior objections by several candidates on the inconsistency in balloting, but several candidates disagreed over starting the voting counting.
Secretary candidates Nahid Sultana Juthi and Blue Panel’s Ruhul Kuddus agreed to count ballots at night while White Panel’s Shah Manzurul Haque and several other candidates said counting should take place during the day, which eventually led to scuffles and brawls among the lawyers of the top courts.
At one stage, the election conducting sub-committee announced ballots had been sealed and counting would take place on Friday afternoon, which several candidates opposed. Early on Friday, a lawyer tried to open the auditorium door a sub-committee member objected, and they exchanged heated arguments.
Moments later, several people from outside entered the auditorium and attacked the sub-committee member and assistant attorney general SR Siddique. They also beat several other lawyers, leaving them injured. Police, however, rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Prothom Alo also obtained a video of the lawyers being assaulted.
Shaifur Rahman Siddique Told Prothom Alo on Friday he was assaulted and blamed the supporter of a certain candidate.
Following the incident, a case was filed on Friday night with the capital’s Shahbagh police station accusing 20 people including independent secretary candidate Nahid Sultana Juthi and pro-BNP panel secretary candidate Ruhul Kuddus of attempting to kill Shaifur Rahman Siddique Saif.
Menawhile, Abul Khayer, the convener of the election conducting sub-committee, told Prothom Alo that vote counting did not take place as police took the custody of sealed ballot boxes.