Dhaka, March 6 – The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka on Tuesday accepted charges against Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman, journalist Shafik Rehman and three others in the case filed for plotting to abduct and kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son and her ICT advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy in the United States.Accepting the charges, Magistrate Sarafuzzaman Ansari issued arrest warrant of warrant against Shafik Rehman and three others. Three others- Mohammad Ullah Mamun, vice-president of Jatiyatabadi SamajikSangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) and his son Rizvi Ahmed Caesar and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, an expatriate businessman living in the United States.
As they were shown fugitive in the charge sheet, the court fixed April 5 to submit report on the execution of arrest warrant. Of the accused the Amar Desh, acting editor Mahmudur Rahman was present in the courtroom yesterday (Tuesday).
Police on February 22 pressed charges against them for plotting to abduct and kill Joy. Police mentioned Shafik Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman, masterminds behind the “conspiracy to abduct and kill Prime Minister's son Joy” in the charge sheet while Mamun aided and abetted, police said. Caesar collected information on Joy from the FBI and sent it to others accused of the charge sheet. Mizanur financed, aided and abetted.
On August 4, 2015, inspector Fazlur Rahman of the Detective Branch (DB) filed the case with Paltan Model Police Station in connection with attempting to abduct and kill Joy.
On April 16 the following year, detectives in plainclothes arrested Shafik Rahman, former editor of the Bangla Daily Jaijaidin from his Eskaton Garden Road home in the city.
According to the case statement, Mamun and a number of top leaders of BNP and its allies met in the UK, the US and various places of Bangladesh before September 2012 and conspired to abduct and kill Joy.
In March 2015, a US court convicted Caesar of bribing an FBI special agent to collect information on a Bangladeshi political figure.
The US Justice Department did not name the politician, but it is believed to be Joy. In a Facebook status on March 9, 2015, Joy himself, accused BNP leaders of conspiring to abduct and kill him.
Shafik, also a British citizen, worked in various media outlets, including the BBC. Mamun and Mizanur are on the run. – Special Correspondent
