150 sued over preventing Rumeen from paying homage at Shaheed Minar

A case was filed today (22 February) against around 150 people, including BNP leaders and activists, over allegations of blocking newly elected MP Rumeen Farhana from paying tribute at a Shaheed Minar in Sarail upazila and assaulting her supporters.

Ahad, a supporter of Rumeen Farhana, filed the case with the Sarail Police Station. Former Sarail upazila BNP general secretary Anwar Hossain has been named as the prime accused.

Manjur Kader Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sarail Police Station, said, "The case names five accused while 140 to 150 others have been listed as unidentified."

"The case has already been recorded. Further legal steps will be taken following an investigation," the OC said.

According to the case statement, when Rumeen went to the Shaheed Minar in Sarail upazila to pay tribute she allegedly faced obstruction from local BNP leaders and activists, who chanted slogans against her.

Tension escalated into a scuffle between the two sides during which the wreath brought by the MP was torn apart.

She later left the area under the protection of her supporters without paying tribute.

In protest, her supporters blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Shahbazpur area of Sarail around 12:30am, disrupting traffic for nearly an hour.

Rumeen Farhana won the Brahmanbaria-2 seat in the 13th parliamentary election as an independent candidate after being denied nomination by BNP.

She was later expelled from the party for contesting against its nominated candidate.