Two gun-toting BCL leaders get bail

Staff Correspondent: A Dhaka court has granted bail to 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.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nurunnahar Yeasmin passed the order on Monday following a bail petition.

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

On last Sunday, the two accused were sent to jail rejecting their bail petition.

Earlier on December 4, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of the leaders in a case filed under the Arms Act.

The court also canceled their bail petition 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 13, 2017/Mamun Khan/Amirul