66 pro-BNP lawyers exempted from 2023 police attack case

A Dhaka court has exempted 66 pro-BNP lawyers, including Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, from the charges of a case filed over attacking policemen from a procession in the capital in 2023.

Confirming the matter to BSS, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court's Kotwali Police Station General Registration Officer (GRO) Sub-Inspector (SI) Al Amin said Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Imran Ahammed passed the order on 3 November.

"Kotwali Police Station SI Md Shahbuddin Hawlader filed the case on 12 September 2023. But investigation officer SI Mohammad Wali Ullah on 10 October 2024, filed final report in the case, as he did not find any evidence against the 66 lawyers. Accepting the final report, the court on 3 November exempted the accused from the charges," the Kotwali GRO said.

The other prominent accused, who were exempted from the charges, are- BNP's Legal Affairs Secretary Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Advocate Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Advocate Md Omar Faruk Faruki and Advocate Qamrul Islam Sazal.

According to the case documents, accused lawyers gathered in front of Dhaka Bar Association building on 12 September 2023, under the banner of United Lawyers' Front and were chanting different anti-government slogans. As they brought out a procession and reached busy Johnson Road, police requested them to leave the busy street to pave the way for normal traffic.

Police said the lawyers at that moment started throwing brickbats at the law enforcers and beating them with bamboo sticks.