Charges of Arson, Looting of Houses in 3 Natore Villages
Verdict of case against Dulu, 93 others on Thursday
Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi
A court in Natore has fixed the date for pronouncement of verdict in a case filed against former BNP deputy minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukhdar Dulu and 93 others on Thursday (July 26). The accused were charged with arson and looting 18 houses in three villages in Natore. The court of additional district magistrate in Natore Rawnak Mahmud heard arguments by state and defence lawyers yesterday before fixing the date. As many as 28 accused including Dulu were produced before the court. The court examined the accused under Section 342 of Criminal Procedure Code to know about the allegations against them. All the accused, however, claimed innocence. While arguing, public prosecutor (PP) Abdul Kader and assistant PP Shamsul Haq Bhuiyan said the depositions of all 26 witnesses corroborated each other and proved allegations against the accused without any doubt. They sought tough punishment for the accused. Court inspector Abdur Rashid also presented a written argument demanding the same. In defence, lawyers Shakhawat Hossain and Mozammel Hossain pleaded that most of the witnesses are relatives of the plaintiff and they have political rivalry with the accused. The plaintiff and witnesses are convicted accused in Dulu's nephew Gama murder case and so they gave false depositions, they claimed. Natore district Jatiya Chhatra Samaj president Asaduzzaman Shah filed the case with Naldanga police station on February 25 in 2004 accusing 105 persons. On May 3, officer-in-charge of Naldanga Police Station Arman Hossain submitted two separate charge sheets one for arson and looting and another under Explosives Act accusing 94 persons. Later, the charge sheets were sent to ADM and district judge's courts for trial. Charges were framed at the ADM court on June 27. According to charges, the accused persons launched a series of attacks in Ramsa Kazipur (Dulu's village home), Shahpara and Amtali Bazar villages at Dulu's instigations to retaliate the murder of the former minister's nephew Sabbir Ahmed Gama on February 7, 2004. Dulu's armed cadres unleashed a reign of terror in the areas blasting bombs and firing gunshots, it was alleged in the charges. The arrested included Dulu's brothers Nabi Talukder, Rafik Talukder, cousins Atikur Rahman, Nurunnabi Talukder, Abidur Rahman, Mojibor Rahman, nephews Rentu, Belal, Helal and Bulbul, nephews-in-law Rahim Newaz and Natore Pourasabha ward commissioners Sadrul Huda Dambel and Nasim Khan.
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