Khaleda Zia charged in 2 more cases over violence in anti-government stir

DHAKA: Former Bangladeshi prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia has been named as the "instigator of violence" in two fresh charge sheets filed in a court here over violence during the last year's anti- government agitation.

The new charge sheets have taken to six the count of charge sheets filed against Khaleda in cases over violence during the three months of blockade called last year.

She was earlier charged in a court along with others in two similar cases at Darussalam Police Station and two others at Jatrabarhi Police Station.

Metropolitan Magistrate Imdadul Haque set May 31 and June 1 for the approval and signing of the charge sheets, court police official Mirash Uddin was quoted as saying by BD News.

Police filed one of the cases over vandalising and torching a bus at the bypass next to Gabtoli bus terminal on Mar 3, 2015.

The others named in the charge sheet include BNP Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman, Swechchhasebak Dal chief Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel and General Secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sopu, Khaleda's Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan and former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.

The other case was started over the vandalism and torching of a bus in Baganbarhi on Feb 10 the same year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised justice for the victims of violence, saying the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami unleashed the violence in the name of protests to destabilise the country.

BNP leaders, on the other hand, have been alleging the cases against Khaleda aim to keep her away from politics.