BNP leader Kajal arrested over clashes centering SCBA polls
The police arrested BNP leader Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal in a case filed over clashes centering the vote counting in Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election.
Kazal was general secretary candidate from the BNP-supported panel in SCBA election.
BNP’s legal affairs secretary Kaiser Kamal told Prothom Alo that Kazal was arrested from Topkhana Road in the city at around 7:15pm today, Saturday.
Azharul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of Ramna Zone police, told Prothom Alo that he heard about the arrest of Kazal over a case filed in connection with clashes centering the vote counting of SCBA polls. Kazal was named as an accused in the case.
Kazal is a member of BNP’s central executive committee. Quoting a colleague of Kazal, Kasier Kamal said the police arrested him after he came out of his legal chamber in the city's Topkhana Road.
The vote for the 2024-25 session of the SCBA was held on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday morning, violent disruptions and turmoil ensued between two groups of lawyers centering the counting of ballots.
Assistant attorney general Md Saifur Rahman Siddique filed a case with Shahbagh police station on Friday afternoon alleging an attempt to murder him.
Lawyer Nahid Sultana was made prime accused while Kazal the number two accused in the case. Nahid Sultana is the wife of Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Porosh.
The police said they raided the house of Nahid Sultana several times after the case was filed but could not arrest her.
Earlier, the police arrested five persons including assistant attorney general Kazi Bashir Ahmed. Court granted a five-day remand for each of them. The other arrestees are Osman Chowdhury, Hasanuzzaman, Toriqul Islam and Enamul Haque.
Before being arrested, Kazal sent a statement to the media on Saturday afternoon. He alleged that the clashes took place between the supporters of Awami League-backed candidates Shah Manjurul Hauque and Nahid Sultana but he along with three other leaders of the BNP-backed panel were also accused in the case.
Of them, Osman Chowdhury has already been arrested and houses of others were raided.
Witnesses said, the clashes broke out on Friday morning on ballot counting that left assistant attorney general SR Siddiqui Saif and other lawyers injured.