Murder case filed against 154 people including former minister, MP-DC-SP in Panchagarh

A murder case has been filed against 154 people including former minister, former MP, Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in the murder of Panchagarh district BNP leader Abdur Rashid Arefin. On Tuesday (May 6) afternoon, the Panchagarh Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Amli Court-1) ordered the Sadar Police Station to register the case subject to investigation.

The plaintiff in this case is Shirin Akhter, the wife of the deceased Arefin. She filed this case in the court on Monday (May 5).

According to the details of the case, a total of 154 people have been accused, of whom Anwar Sadat Samrat, General Secretary of the District Awami League, has been made the main accused. Others include former MPs from Panchagarh-1 and 2 constituencies Advocate Nurul Islam Sujan, Naimuzzaman Mukta and Mazharul Haque Pradhan, former Zilla Parishad Chairman Abdul Hannan Sheikh, then Deputy Commissioner Zahurul Islam, then Superintendent of Police SM Sirajul Huda, Additional Superintendent of Police Kanak Kumar Das, SM Shafiqul Islam, then OC of Sadar Police Station Abdul Latif, and many other Awami League leaders, municipal councilors and local public representatives.

In addition, 400 to 700 more unidentified people have been named as accused in the case.

Regarding the case, the plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Abdul Wahab told the media that the case will now come under investigation on the orders of the court and the Sadar Police Station will register it as a complaint.

Incidentally, on December 24, 2022, during the anti-government mass procession announced by the central BNP, there was a clash between police and Awami League leaders and activists in Panchagarh city. At least 50 leaders and activists were injured in the police lathicharge, tear gas shelling and attacks on the procession, and the clash reached its peak in the BNP office area adjacent to the Panchagarh-Tentulia highway. At that time, Abdur Rashid Arefin, joint convener of Maidandighi Union BNP in Boda Upazila, was killed.

Regarding the filing of the case in this incident, Mirza Nazmul Islam Kajal, joint convener of the district BNP and district president of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum, said, “On that day, more than a thousand of our leaders and activists were peacefully marching. Suddenly, the police and government party workers attacked the procession. Arefin was killed amidst tear gas and baton charges.”

He also said, “A case has been filed through legal process demanding a fair trial in this incident and punishment of the culprits. We hope that the true truth of the incident will be revealed through an investigation as per the court’s orders.”

Khademul Islam/MNP