Sramik League leader ordered arson of 4 buses to frame protesters

Four BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses were set on fire in Chattogram on the orders of a Sramik League leader in July last year.

Angered by the failure to lease BRTC buses, the Sramik League leader hired a person on a contract of Tk 400,000 to set the buses on fire. It happened during the July uprising. He did this that time to pin the blame on the protesters.

This came up in the charge sheet submitted by the police over the incident. The charge sheet was submitted after analysing the CCTV footage and deposition of the accused.

Accused Didarul Alam is the president of Bayazid Bostami unit of Sramik League. Another person named Sohel Rana has also been made accused in the charge sheet. He is one of Didarul Alam’s associates.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Chattogram district court inspector Habibur Rahman said the charge sheet submitted by the Hathazari police will be heard at the Chattogram District and Session Judge Court on 14 May. President of the Bayazid Bostami unit of Sramik League, Didarul Alam and his associate Sohel Rana have been made accused in the case filed under the Special Power Act. Both accused are imprisoned at the moment.

On 20 July last year, four BRTC buses near the cleaning shade of the BRTC depot were set on fire around 12:00 am.

BRTC depot manager Md Zulfikar filed a case with Hathazari police station over the incident as the plaintiff. Two days after the incident, the police arrested Sohel after analysing CCTV footage. They arrested Didarul on the same day based on the information provided by Sohel.

The charge sheet submitted by the police states, Sramik League leader Didarul Alam wanted to lease the BRTC buses in the depot. Failing to do that, he ordered Sohel to set the buses on fire.

There is also an allegation against Didarul of stabbing a man to death on 25 February 2022. The trial of the case filed over the killing is still underway. Victim Abdul Halim was killed over a dispute centering recruitment of supervisors for BRTC buses, the case statement says.

Didarul decided to do this amid the student movement against discrimination. He called up Sohel in front of the BRTC bus depot and told him to set five buses on fire. He said he would give Sohel Tk 400,000 for this. Didarul gave Sohel Tk 500 in advance to buy oil.

Later, Sohel stole a gas lighter from a tea stall near the bus depot. On the night of the incident, he climbed the wall and entered the depot. Then he collected brake oil from inside a bus and then set the four buses on fire using that within three to five minutes. Sohel disclosed this in a confessional statement with the police.

Hathazari police station sub-inspector (SI) Suman Chandra Nath told Prothom Alo Didarul hired a man to set the buses on fire and tried to pin the blame on the protesting students.

Speaking regarding this, Didarul would exert influence in recruitment of supervisors and other relevant issues during the Awami League regime. Enraged by the failure to lease, he hired people to set the buses on fire.