Man in jail accused of sabotage committed outside
Though Shafiqul Islam, 35, from Ramjibanpur in Nandail upazila of Mymensingh, is a supporter of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he does not hold any post in the party.
Shafiqul was in jail between 8 and 22 November in a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
But police filed another case against him on charges of committing an act of sabotage in Nandail on 15 November.
Upon getting released from jail Shafiqul Islam is now into hiding to avoid arrest.
Police, however, claimed that the case was lodged based on the names disclosed by people arrested earlier in connection with the sabotage.
The investigation officer (IO) will look into the matter if anyone in jail is made accused. The person’s name will be dropped if the investigation substantiates that, the law enforcement added.
Court and local people informed Prothom Alo that Shafiqul’s wife filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act over a family issue. Shafiqul and his mother Khodeza Khatun appeared before the court on 8 November and sought bail. But the court rejected the bail and sent them to jail.
Since then the mother and son were in jail. They were released as the district and sessions judge court granted bail to them on 22 November.
Prothom Alo checked all the related documents of the court.
In support of blockade, some people poured inflammable liquid at the eastern side of Jhalua bridge of the Mymensingh-Kishoreganj highway in Nandail upazila on 15 November and set fire to it.
Nandail police station sub-inspector (SI) Shafiullah Mirza filed a case against 50 people and 35 unnamed others under the Special Powers Act. Shafiqul Islam is the N0 10 accused in the case.
Someone might have included his name owing to enmity, they suspected.
Speaking to Protom Alo over phone, Shafiqul Islam said he does not know how he was accused in the sabotage case. He is not staying at home now fearing arrest.
The case statement also alleged that the accused gathered in the area illegally with local arms and vandalised vehicles and committed sabotage to harm public safety. The time of the incident has been mentioned as 3:25 pm on 15 November. Shafiqul was in jail at that time.
He came to know about the sabotage case upon getting released on 22 November. Without returning home, he went into hiding from there.
Shafiqul’s family members declined to talk to Prothom Alo about the lawsuit on Wednesday. His mother was also not found at home.
Several villagers, wishing not to be named, said they were astonished that Shafiqul was accused in the case though he was in jail at the time of the incident.
Someone might have included his name owing to enmity, they suspected.
Speaking to Protom Alo over phone, Shafiqul Islam said he does not know how he was accused in the sabotage case. He is not staying at home now fearing arrest.
The case statement also alleged that the accused gathered in the area illegally with local arms and vandalised vehicles and committed sabotage to harm public safety. The time of the incident has been mentioned as 3:25 pm on 15 November. Shafiqul was in jail at that time.
“This suggests many innocent people like me have been implicated in lawsuits,” he remarked.
Convener of a faction of Nandail Upazila Jubo Dal, Md Jahirul Haque, said people absent on the spot are being accused in cases. This case proves how they have been facing harassment, he insisted.
Plaintiff SI Shafiullah Mirza, however, claimed the police are not harassing any innocent person.