Attack on EX-US envoy Bernicat’s convoy Court accepts CS against 9 including BCL leader

Court Correspondent :
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka yesterday accepted the supplementary charge sheet against nine people in a case filed over the attack on the convoy of former US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat in August 2018.

Accepting the charges Metropolitan Magistrate Zaki Al Farabi of Dhaka CMM Court issued arrest warrant against Mohammad Ishtiaq Mahmud, who is a brother-in-law of Shushahoner Jonno Nagororik (SHUJAN) Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar.

He did not secure bail from any court in the country. Another accused is Naimul Hasan alias Russell, President of Mohammadpur Thana Chhatra League.

Other seven accused people are- Firoz Mahmud, Mir Amzad Hosssain Akash, Sazu Islam, Razibul Islam Raza, Shahidul Alam Khan Kajol, Siam and Oli Ahmed Jony. Besides, Ishtiaq Mahmud, other accused are now on bail.

After the re-investigation, Investigation Officer Rajon Kumar Saha, an Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of DMP, submitted the charge sheet of the case to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on September 19. In the supplementary charge sheet, only Ishtiaque was shown as fugitive.

The court directed the Officer-in-Charge of Mohammadpur Police Station to submit by October 31 the progress report on execution of arrest warrant.

On August 4, 2018, some 30 unidentified miscreants attacked the convoy of Bernicat, who was about to leave the residence of Badiul Alam around 11:00pm after attending a courtesy dinner in her honour at Iqbal Road in the capital’s Mohammad area.

Badiul Alam’s house was also attacked at night after which he filed a case with Momahhadpur Police Station in connection with the incident on August 10 of the year.

Earlier, on March 1 of last year, the court framed charges against nine accused and they are- Firoz Mahmud, Naimul Hasan Russell, Mir Amzad Hossain Akash, Sazu Islam, Razibul Islam Razu, Shahidul Islam Kajol,Mozahid Azmi Tanna, Siam and Oli Ahmed alias Joy.

As then the trial begun, six prosecution witness testified in the case when involvement of another accused Ishtiaq Mahmud came up.

In the circumstances, Public Prosecutor of Dhaka Abdullah Abu sought further investigation of the case.

Following the appeal, Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rahmah Siddiqui of Dhaka CMM Courst ordered for further investigation of the case on January 1 of this year.

Marcia Bernicat was the US ambassador of Dhaka from 2015 to 2018.