Two deceased persons sued over violence at Govt Bangla College

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal leader Abdul Jabbar died of cancer 21 months ago. Chhatra Dal leader Shafiqul Islam Sumon died of cancer 8 months ago. However, both of them have been made accused in the case filed on the allegations of carrying out attacks and vandalising during the BNP’s (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) March in the Mirpur Bangla College area in the capital on 18 July.

The families of the deceased are wondering how these two persons could be named in the list of the accused in a case filed months after their death. The police say they are looking into the matter. And the plaintiff of the case says he only mentioned the names given by the college authority in the case.

Both Abdul Jabbar Haoladar and Shafiqul Islam Sumon have been accused of taking part in the attack, vandalising the main gate and buildings of the Government Bangla College and setting fire on a motorcycle. The case was filed on 19 July with the Darus Salam police station naming 109 and accusing 500 other unidentified people.

Abdul Jabbar is the accused no. 2 in the case and Shafiqul is the accused no. 73 in this case. Abdul Jabbar was the general secretary of Darus Salam thana Sramik Dal and Shafiqul Islam was the vice-president of Chhatra Dal’s Government Bangla College unit.

Mahidur Rahman, the plaintiff of the case, is an office assistant of the Government Bangla College. Asked how he could see two deceased people taking part in the attack, he said the college authority had primarily identified the people who took part in the attack. He accused people in the case as per the list given by the college authority. Now, it is the police’s duty to investigate the matter.

Prothom Alo spoke to Abdul Jabbar’s wife over the phone. She said her husband died on 11 October 2021. She has heard of making his husband an accused in a case. However, she refused to comment on this and told the correspondent to contact Abdul Jabbar’s cousin Jasim Uddin in this regard.

When contacted, Jasim Uddin said, “Jabbar has always been made accused in all the cases filed over political issues in Mirpur. Jabbar has been accused in some 30-35 political cases filed during the regime of the incumbent government.”

“He has also been accused in many cases filed against the central leaders of the BNP. Now, we have nothing to say about this. We have no way other than being silent,” he added.

Chhatra Dal leader Shafiqul Islam died on 9 November last year. However, it was not possible contact his family. However, Shafiqul’s cousin Shamsul Huda told Prothom Alo, “Shafiqul was a post-holder in the previous committee of Chhatra Dal’s Government Bangla College unit. However, we couldn’t understand why a deceased person has been made accused in the case.”

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Darus Salam police station officer-in-charge Sheikh Aminur Bashar said, “The plaintiff of the case lodged the case on behalf of the Government Bangla College authority. We have talked to the plaintiff. We have already informed the court as well.”

Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Rubel Hossain lodged another case over the chasing and counter-chasing at the Government Bangla College during BNP’s march on 18 July naming 120 and accusing 500 unidentified people.

Analysing the case statement of these two cases, it has been learnt that the accused in the cases are mainly the leaders and activists of  different units of the BNP, Sramik Dal, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal in areas under the Darussalam, Shah Ali, Mirpur, Pallabi, Rupnagar and Kafrul police station.