130 pro-AL lawyers sued sans specific charges

A pro-BNP lawyer sued 144 pro-Awami League lawyers for illegally gathering, trespassing, theft, causing bodily harm, attempted murder, vandalism and exploding crude bombs.

Only 12 were sued on specific charges and the complainant did not mention any specific charges against 130, according to the case statement.

The 12 lawyers include Khandakar Golam Kibria Jobayer, Mohamad Anwar Shahadat Shawn, Hasibur Rahman Didar, Kazi Shahanara Yeasmin, Nazrul Islam Shamim, Salma Hai Tuny, Sanzida Khanam, Abu Sayeed Siddiqui Tipu, Matiar Rahman Bhuiyan, Fahim Sharif, AKM Salah Uddin and Ramjan Ali Sarder Rana.

Kazi Md Nazib Ullah Hiru, the AL law affairs secretary, and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, have been named as masterminds in the case.

The complainant, Mohammad Ali Babu, also sued 200 to 300 unnamed persons in the case filed with the court on February 6.

Kotwali police registered the case the following day as a first information report as per the court's order.

Among the 144 lawyers, 24 are female, 11 are former presidents of the Dhaka Bar Association (DBA) and five are its former general secretaries.

The complainant brought charges against all accused of entering the rooms of pro-BNP lawyers Omar Faruq Faruqi, Moazzem Hossain and Abdul Khaleque Milon on August 4 last year. The accused stole important valuables from the three rooms located in the building of the Dhaka Bar Association and stealing valuables.

The case records say former DBA general secretary Jobayer; senior vice-president Shahanara; cultural secretary Tuny; treasurers Hasibur and Shamim, also former public prosecutor of the Cyber Tribunal; former senior assistant general secretaries Matiar, Fahim and Salah; and former assistant general secretary Tipu stole cheque books from the rooms.

Shawn, a former DBA general secretary, stole Tk 1 lakh, Sanzida stole Tk 1.3 lakh and Ramjan, a former DBA executive committee member, stole Tk 4 lakh, said the complainant.

All 144 accused, equipped with pistols, iron rods and bamboo sticks, hurt the complainant and 20 other witnesses with the intent to kill them, leaving them seriously injured, according to the case documents.

Following the incidents, the victims received primary treatment from the clinic located inside the bar association and various hospitals.

However, the complainant did not mention in the case statement whether they were admitted to any hospital or clinic even though the charges mentioned are grievous. In addition, he did not mention anything about blasting crude bombs.

Meanwhile, 61 landed in jail on Sunday after their bail prayers were rejected.

On Sunday, the court also granted former DBA president Abu Sayeed Sagar and 18 female lawyers bail in the case.