‘Shaon died in BNP firing’, alleges brother, sues 5,000 BNP men

The brother of Shaon – who was killed during a clash between BNP activists and police on Thursday – has filed a case, accusing 5,000 BNP men over the death.

Police also filed a case against 2,500 BNP men over the clash between the BNP and the law enforcers in Narayanganj, Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj Sadar model station, told TBS on Friday.

The police have also filed cases against BNP men in Manikganj and Netrokona over clashes on Thursday.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they will file a case regarding the death of Shaon, who was a Jubo Dal activist.

According to the case filed at Narayanganj Sadar police station by Shaon's brother Milan Hossain Pradhan, over 5,000 leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliates marched with weapons including rods and hockey sticks on the occasion of BNP's founding anniversary. They threw brick chips and crude bombs at the police.

Shaon, who was passing the Railway Gate No 2 area in Narayanganj around 11:45pm, suffered serious head and chest injuries from brickbats and illegal weapons fired by BNP men at that time. Later, people on the street rescued him and took him to the hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.

Sakhawat Hossain Khan, senior vice-president of Narayanganj city unit of BNP, claimed that Shaon's family members were forced to file the case against BNP men.

"This government and its administration is based on lies. They are the ones who attacked us, and then they sued us. They injured hundreds of our activists, killed one and filed a murder case against us," he said.

Denying the allegation, Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Golam Mustafa Russell said, "They filed a case, we registered it. Do you think one can be coerced into filing a case nowadays? We did not put any pressure on anyone."

Narayanganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Amir Khosru told TBS, "We are investigating the case. Besides, more cases will be filed regarding the attack on the police. We have video footage and will speak with witnesses."

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Shaon's house on Friday.

At the time, he said, "The killing of Jubo Dal activist Shaon is not only the killing of a person, but the killing of an ideal; it is the killing of democracy and people's dreams. I demand that those who shot and killed Shaun be brought to justice immediately."

On Thursday, BNP leaders and activists clashed with the police in the DIT commercial area for around one and half hours. During the clash 26 people including pedestrians and women were shot and more than 50 were injured.
 
2,500 BNP men sued in Manikganj

A case has been filed against 2,500 people in connection with the clash between BNP men and the police in Manikganj during a programme observing the party's 44th founding anniversary on Thursday.

Sub-Inspector Md Abdul Liton of Manikganj Sadar police station filed the case on Thursday night against 33 named and 2,467 unnamed people.

"Three of the accused were arrested from the spot and raids have been going on to arrest others," Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdur Rouf Sarker said.

According to the case statement, BNP men on Thursday blocked Shaheed Taju Road in Shewta area of Manikganj and started chanting anti-government and anti-state slogans during a rally marking the party's 44th founding anniversary.

When police charged batons, the accused BNP men hurled brickbats at the law enforcers, injuring seven of them including Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station Abdur Rouf Sarker. The accused BNP men also vandalised two motorcycles and caused extensive damage, said the case statement.
 
500 BNP activists sued in Netrokona
 
The police filed a case accusing 500 activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations over a clash with the police in Netrokona.

SI Khandkar Al Mamun of Netrakona Model police station filed the case on Thursday night.

According to the police, on the occasion of the 44th founding anniversary of BNP, its activists from different areas gathered on the road in front of the party office around 11 am on Thursday, causing a heavy traffic jam on the main road of the city.

The police urged the BNP men to move away from the road and go inside the office, but they continued to rally on the road.

When the police tried to bar them from continuing the rally, the BNP activists started throwing plastic chairs and bricks at the law enforcers, which injured two policemen. The police then resorted to baton charge and fired rubber bullets and tear shells to bring the situation under control.
 
BNP to file case over Shaon murder

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that Juba Dal leader Shaon's elder brother was held at gunpoint and forced to file a false case against the party.

"We have already filed a case over the killings of our activists Nur-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim in Bhola. We will definitely file a case regarding the killing of Shaon in Narayanganj. We will take account of all the attacks on our activists in different districts," said Fakhrul at a programme organised at Mahanagar Natyamancha on the occasion of the 44th founding anniversary of BNP Friday.

Mirza Fakhrul alleged that the government has been filing false cases against BNP leaders and activists out of fear like they did in 2014, 2015, and 2018.
 
BNP organises funeral prayers across the country

The BNP on Friday organised ghaibana namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) across the country, including the capital Dhaka, for their activists who were killed in recent times.

At the programme held in front of the BNP office in Naya Paltan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "Two of our brothers were killed in police firing in Bhola a few days ago and Shaon was killed in Narayanganj yesterday (Thursday). But our procession yesterday was completely peaceful. It was not even a programme against the government, it was just a rally on the occasion of our party's founding anniversary."

After the funeral prayer, BNP activists protested on the road for several minutes and chanted various slogans demanding justice for Shaon.