A trial court in Barisal on Sunday framed charges against 17 accused including former BNP lawmaker Zahiruddin Swapan after 8 years in connection of attack on Hasina’s motorcade in 2004.Golam Hafiz Mridha, Joint Convener of Gournadi Upazila Jubo League as complainant lodged this case with the senior judicial magistrate court at Barisal on July 20, 2009 against 110 BNP and front organization activists and under 11 sections of Cr PC including 143,147,148,341,320, 323, 325,326,307, 427 and 506(2).
In the allegation complainant alleged that the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was on her five-day tour of five districts in Barisal Division.
When the motorcade of the leader of the opposition and her party men reached at Gournadi bus stand, it had come under attack by the BNP activists at 12:00 noon on April,2, 2004.
The attackers injuring party leaders, activists and journalists, damaged welcome gates, meeting stage, vehicles of the motorcade.
Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Jubo League president and LGRD state minister, Advocate Talukdar Md. Yunus, AL lawmaker for Barisal-1, Bahauddin Nasim, Sechchhawa Sebok League president, Liakat Shikdar, former BCL president, and local AL leaders were named as witnesses of the allegation.
The witnesses at that time saved the life of Hasinaresisting the attackers and later police controlled the situation.
As the then officer in charge of Gournadi police station denied to register any case in this connection against the then ruling BNP leaders and cadres , so the case has been lodged on July 20, 2009 after 5 years and 2 months and 20 days delaying after the occurrence of the incident, the complainant stated.
Sub Inspector Shahjahan Khan on April 30, 2011 filed charge sheet against 17 accused Barisal chief judicial magistrate court Zahiruddin Swapan, former BNP lawmaker of Barisal-1 ( Gournadi-Agoiljhara), Sarwar Alam Biplob, the then upazila secretary, Mukul Khan, municipal president, Hannan Sharif, municipal secretary of BNP, Badiuzzaman Mintu, president upazila Jubo Dal, Zakir Hossain Raja, former VP of Gournadi College and JCD leader, Mahfuz Molla and Mahmud Molla, JCD
activists, Awal Lokman, Mahilara union president, Fazlu Peada, Shamimul Huq, Babul Darji, Habul Sardar, Biltu Talukdar, Rubel Howladar, Nasir Sardar, Chunnu Shikdar, activists of BNP and front organizations.
Masud Ahmed, CJM Barisal on Sunday framed charges against them in presence of 11 accused who were in bail and asked to issue warrant against six absconding accused Mintu, Bazlu, Chunnu, Rubel, Shamim and Habul.
Zahir Uddin Swapan, the former BNP law maker, said the allegation was lodged to harass him and he was not in the area during the so called incident.
While the AL government talks about withdrawing politically motivated cases, then they lodging the same, he added.
(Barisal Correspondent)
