Two gun-toting BCL leaders land in jail

Staff Correspondent: A Dhaka court has sent two leaders of Bangladesh Chhatara League (BCL) who were charged with breaching the party rules by wielding firearms during clashes with hawkers in an eviction drive at Gulistan in the capital to jail after rejecting their bail petition.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarafuzzaman Ansari came up with the order on Thursday when the accused were produced before the court with a bail petition filed by president of Dhaka Bar Association Saidur Rahman Manik, lawyer for the accused.

The court also fixed February 12 for hearing the case.

The accused are BCL’s sacked Dhaka south city unit general secretary Sabbir Hossain and Wari thana unit general secretary Ashiqur Rahman.

Earlier, the former BCL leaders filed the bail petition with the court after submitting self-defence statement, said the court’s general registrar officer (GRO) Mahmudur Rahman.

On November 17, the accused surrendered before the court and the court granted them bail.

Earlier, on December 8, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of leaders in a case filed under the Arms Act.

The court also canceled their bail granted by a court on November 17, asking the officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station to submit a compliance report in this regard on January 8.

Later, the arrest warrant documents were sent to the Shahbag police.

On October 27, hundreds of hawkers locked into a clash with police after a team of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) officials, led by an executive magistrate, tried to carry out an eviction drive against illegal structures in Gulistan area.

A photo taken during the clash showed that the BCL leaders brandished guns during the clash.

On October 31, police filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station against the duo under the Arms Act.

risingbd/DHAKA/Feb 9, 2017/Mamun Khan/Amirul