Case over burn deaths of 42 people against Khaleda dismissed

A Dhaka court has scrapped a case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others over the deaths of 42 people across the country in crude bomb attacks during the BNP’s blockade programme and general strikes after the 10th general election.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman issued the order on Thursday after receiving the final report from police following an investigation.

Jananetri Council President AB Siddique filed the case with Dhaka Magistrate Court on Feb 2, 2015 naming four people, including Khaleda Zia, as suspects. Later, the Gulshan police was tasked with investigating the case.

Besides Khaleda, BNP Standing Committee member Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, former Dhaka University vice chancellor Emajuddin Ahmed (who later died) and ex-advisor to the BNP chairperson Shamser Mobin Chowdhury were named in the case.

According to the case documents, BNP chief Khaleda Zia called for a blockade programme across the country on Jan 5, 2015. Then her party called for several rounds of hartal. Amid those protest programmes, at least 42 people were burnt to death as of Feb 1, 2015 and the government faced financial loss worth millions.

The investigation in the case was delayed and Sub-inspector Shaheen Molla of Gulshan Police Station submitted the final report to the court on Sept 21 this year, after the change in the government. The report said the allegations against the suspects were not proven in the investigation.