BNP leader Moqbul sent to jail, bail hearing Thursday

A Dhaka court has sent BNP leader Advocate Moqbul Hossain to jail on completion of the three-day remand in a case filed for obstruction in performing duties of police during the April 19 violent clashes between New Market traders and Dhaka College students that left two dead and scores injured.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ishrat Jahan’s court passed the order on Wednesday (April 27).

The court also fixed Thursday (April 28) for bail hearing in the case.

Earlier in the day, New Market Police Inspector (Operations) Haldar Arpit Thakur, also the investigation officer of the case, produced the accused before the court on completion of the three-day remand and appealed to the court to keep him detained.

Sub-inspector (SI) Safayet Hossain, General Registration Branch Officer of New Market Police Station, confirmed the information.

Advocate Moqbul, the prime accused in one of the cases filed by the police for obstruction in performing duties, was picked up from his Dhanmondi residence by the Detective Branch (DB) of police for questioning on Friday (April 22) evening.

A member of the BNP’s Dhaka south unit, Moqbul is the former president of BNP’s New Market thana unit. He owns the two fast food shops – Welcome and Capital, from where the clash ensued on Monday night.

On April 21, three separate cases were filed in connection with the clashes between Dhaka College students and traders in the capital’s New Market area that left two persons dead and over 50 injured.

Around 1,200 people were made accused in the cases.

Police filed a case for carrying out an attack on the law enforcers and obstructing them from discharging duties during the clash. 24 people were named in the case.

Another case was filed under Explosives Act in which over 1,000 unnamed people were made accused.

Besides, family members of Nahid Hasan, deliveryman, who succumbed to his injures during the clash, filed a murder case against 100 to 150 unnamed persons. Another murder case was filed by the brother of Mursalin, a shop employee, who died during the clash.