Nipun Roy among those remanded over Naya Paltan clash

Dhaka, Nov 16 – A Dhaka court on Friday granted police five days to question in their custody seven BNP leaders, including Nipun Roy Chowdhury, for their alleged involvement to Naya Paltan violence. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder passed the order after police produced them before a court seeking 10 days in remand.
The six others are Yunus Mridha, 61, Abul Hashim Sobuj, 48, Mamun Al Rashid, 38, Arifa Sultana Ruma, Amir Hossain, 40, and Mohammad Mohsin, 48.
The judge, however, ordered the law enforcers to be cautious while interrogating the female accused and allowing only female police officials to quiz them.
On Thursday detective Branch (DB) arrested Nipun Roy Chowdhury with singer Baby Nazneen near the Nightingale intersection at the city’s Kakrail. Baby Nazneen, an aspirant candidate from BNP, was later released from the DB office at Minto Road.
Besides Nipun daughter of BNP Vice-Chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury about 488 people accused in the cases include BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, his wife and Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal chief Afroza Abbas, BNP Vice-Chairman Akhtaruzzaman, its Jatrabari unit chief Nabiullah Nabi and Kafil Uddin, a member of the BNP chief’s Advisory Council.
Police arrested 65 members of the party. The charges against them include assaulting police, arson attacks, and obstruction to government duty.
Police said it was an unprovoked clash and the BNP tried to turn it to its own advantage, while an opposition leader claimed that the government was behind the attack.
On the third day of the party’s nomination form sale at the party’s headquarters in Naya Paltan, the BNP supporters pelted the police with brickbats and ended up in violent clashes with them.
BNP supporters set fire to two police cars and one armoured vehicle in the Naya Paltan area. Police used tear gas to control violence.
At least 20 law enforcers and over 50 BNP supporters were injured in the clash.
Later in the day, Paltan police started three cases against nearly 500 people and so far have made 68 arrests. – Staff Reporter