Two former Awami League lawmakers were arrested yesterday, while cases were filed against at least four other ex-parliamentarians in separate incidents across Chattogram, Dhaka, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Cox’s Bazar and Rangpur.
In Chattogram, Md Abdul Latif, the former Awami League lawmaker from Chattogram-11, was placed on a three-day remand by a court in connection with a case involving the shooting and injuring of a protester during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Chattogram’s Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Deb granted the remand after police presented Latif with a 10-day remand prayer.
Latif was arrested in the Baizid Bostami area early yesterday, said Fazlul Quader Patwari, officer-in-charge of Double Mooring Police Station.
The arrest followed a case filed by Md Ershad, accusing Latif and others of opening fire on protesters on August 4.
The former MP was allegedly hiding at a relative’s house in Madarbari before being picked up by the army on August 10.
Meanwhile, in Thakurgaon, former Water Resources Minister and Thakurgaon-1 lawmaker Ramesh Chandra Sen, was detained at his ancestral home in Ruhea Ramnath village by a police team from Dhaka.
Officer-in-Charge Gulfamul Islam Mandal reported that law enforcers from Police Headquarters claimed they were taking the political leader for his safety.
Sen’s wife Anjali Rani Sen said police assured her they would bring him back within half an hour, despite her pleas not to take him due to his illness.
A photograph of the former lawmaker, tied with a ribbon or rope, soon went viral on social media.
The family insisted that, to their knowledge, no case had been filed against him.
He was later produced before a Thakurgaon court in a case filed over attack on protesters on July 16 by BCL activists.
A Chhatra Dal activist filed the case on Friday night. The court of Judicial Magistrate Rajib Kumar Roy later sent him to jail.
In Dhaka, a total of 119 Awami League members, including two former Dhaka-19 lawmakers, have been sued in connection with the death of Ash-Sabur, a 16-year-old student killed during anti-government protests in Savar on August 5.
The case was filed by Sahid Hasan alias Mithu at Ashulia Police Station on Friday night.
The accused include former MPs Muhammad Saiful Islam and Talukder Tauhid Jang Murad, Ashulia Thana Awami League President Farooq Hasan Tuhin, Savar Municipality Mayor Abdul Ghani, and several Union Parishad chairmen.
The complaint alleges that Ash-Sabur was beaten and shot dead by Awami League cadres and their affiliates.
His body was found at Bypile intersection after he had been reportedly attacked while returning from a shop.
In Dinajpur, Afsar Ali, chairman of Bochaganj Upazila Parishad and General Secretary of Bochaganj Upazila unit of Awami League, was arrested and sent to jail after an altercation with students at the Bochaganj Police Station.
The students, present near the police station, accused Afsar of threatening them.
Afsar, who had gone to the station to file a complaint about his house being vandalised and set on fire, was subsequently arrested based on a case filed by Faisal Mostak, a student from Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University.
The case was filed for attacking protesters on July 18. It named former state minister for shipping and ex-Dinajpur-1 lawmaker Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, along with 99 others as accused.
Additionally, in Natore, two cases of attempted murder were filed against former lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Shimul.
The cases, filed by District BNP joint convener Farhad Ali Dewan Shahin and BNP member Saiful Islam Aftab, accuse Shimul and others of orchestrating attacks against them.
The police are reportedly working to arrest the accused following the investigations.
In Cox’s Bazar, a case has been filed against 150 individuals, including a former whip of the parliament, over shooting at protesters during the quota reform protest.
The case was filed against leaders and activists of AL, Jubo League and Chhatra League. Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Sub-inspector Md Salim Mia filed it early yesterday.
The case statement alleged that quota reform activists, engaged in a peaceful march in Cox’s Bazar, were attacked and shot in Gungachtola area, resulting in the death of one activist.
OC Rokibuzzaman said no arrests were made by yesterday evening.
Among the accused are former MP and Whip Shaimun Sarwar Komol, district AL General Secretary Mujibur Rahman, and Cox’s Bazar Municipality Mayor Mahabubur Rahman Chowdhury.
