Shaon killing: Rizvi appeals to file case against 42 people including Narayanganj SP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has appealed to file a case against 42 people including Narayanganj Superintendent of Police in connection with the killing of Jubo Dal activist Shaon in the clash between police and BNP activists.

He appealed to file a case in the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Imran Molla on Sunday (4 September). The court accepted it, a hearing will be held later. 

Narayanganj District Superintendent of Police (SP) Golam Mostafa Russell has been accused in the case; while Sub-Inspector (SI) Mahfuzur Rahman Kanak has been made the main accused.

"We have filed a petition case and are waiting the court's order on the acceptance of the plea," Rizvi's lawyer Masud Talukder told The Business Standard. 

 "1 September was the foundation anniversary of BNP. BNP held peaceful marches all over Bangladesh. But in some parts of Bangladesh, including Narayanganj, the police fired directly on the peaceful procession without any provocation. Many leaders and workers were injured in this and Shaon died on the spot after being shot in the chest. I filed this case in court knowing from the media, newspapers and those who were present there," he added.

"SI Kanak, who shot Shaon dead, has been made the number one accused. Apart from this, a total of 42 policemen including District Superintendent of Police, three Additional Superintendents of Police, OC of Sadar Model Police Station have been made accused," Masud Talukder further said.  

After the application of the case, Rizvi told reporters, "It has been unfair, extremely unfair. The right to assemble and protest is still a democratic right in the Constitution. The government has taken away that right."

Jubo Dal activist Shaon was killed and 50 people were reportedly injured in a clash that erupted between police and the BNP activists in Narayanganj as the law enforcers tried to prevent local BNP leaders and activists from holding a rally marking the political party's 44th founding anniversary on Thursday (1 September). 

The brother of Shaon 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.

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.