Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has filed an appeal with a Narayanganj court to lodge a case against 42 policemen, including the police super and officer-in-charge of Sadar Model police station.
He sought to file the case for the death of Jubo Dal activist Shaon Pradhan, who sustained bullet injuries during a clash between the BNP men and police in Narayanganj.
Rizvi filed the appeal with the court of Narayanganj senior judicial magistrate Imran Hossain on Sunday morning.
Accepting the appeal, the court said it will give its verdict later, informed the plaintiff’s lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder to media.
“We told the court, since the law has given you the power, to take action against those who are criminals after checking this. The court told us, it would pass the order as per law after checking everything,” said Masud Ahmed Talukder.
The clash broke out when police tried to obstruct a procession of BNP that the party brought out celebrating its 44th founding anniversary on Thursday.
According to the appeal, the BNP leaders and activists started gathering in front of Ali Ahmed Chunka library at rail gate no. 2 of Narayanganj in the morning on 1 September to mark the party’s 44th founding anniversary.
At the behest of the government, the opponents obstructed the BNP men on their way to join the rally. When thousands of leaders and activists gathered there, the accused, forgetting their lawful responsibilities and duties, started beating up the BNP leaders and activists with firearms and bamboo sticks.
Later, they opened firing on the leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies, teargas shells and rubber bullets.
The appeal also said Jubo Dal activist Shaon fell down when DB SI Mahfuzur Rahman fired from the firearm he had in his hand.
Chhatra Dal leader Faruq Ahmed sustained injuries when the defendants fired bullets indiscriminately and fired teargas shells and rubber bullets.
He is in critical condition now. Besides, another 200 leaders and activists sustained bullet injuries. It is clear that the defendants used firearms to kill, which is clear from the video footages and photos published in print media.
In the appeal, Monirul Islam, acting convener of district unit BNP, Sakhawat Hossain, senior vice-president of Narayanganj Mohanagar BNP and nine others were made witnesses.
Speaking to newspersons after filing the appeal, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “A grave crime has been committed here. The constitution has provided the democratic rights of rally and gathering. They have even snatched that right.”
He further said, “(It might seem) we reiterate that too often but the incidents of Narayanganj on 1 September proves that. They (the government) do not want to protect the democratic rights. We have said the incidents on that day reflected the state of one-party rule.”