COMILLA, Jan 3, 2018 (BSS) – A court in Comilla yesterday ordered BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s arrest for instigating a clandestine arson attack while she faces several identical charges in different courts for spearheading a protracted violent campaign three years ago.
“The court accepted the charge sheet submitted by police and then issued the arrest warrant,” public prosecutor Mostafizur Rahman Liton told BSS.
He said additional chief judicial magistrate Joynab Begum, who took into cognizance the charge, also issued arrest warrants against 55 fugitive accused of the case while 20 other suspects were now on bail awaiting trial.
The prosecutor said out of 78 people charged in the case, three died natural deaths by now.
BNP along with its crucial ally Jamaat-e-Islami enforced a violent nationwide blockade against in 2015 coinciding with the first anniversary of the 2014 elections when over 125 people were killed mostly in arson attacks on buses and trucks.
The Comilla court issued the warrant as eight people were killed alone in one such petrol bomb attacks on a bus on February 3, 2015 evening in front of a restaurant at Chouddagram area of the district killing eight passengers there.
BNP boycotted the January 5, 2014 general elections under Awami League government and appeared as the main opposition outside parliament and enforced the nationwide transport blockade on the first anniversary of the polls.