Staff Reporter:

Police have submitted charge-sheets to the court against 549 Awami League leaders and activists including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in three separate cases filed for killing of District Jubo Dal Vice-President Sohanur Rahman Ranju, BNP activist Abdul Latif and Sumon Sheikh during the anti-discrimination students-public movement in Sirajganj.

The investigation officers (IOs) of the cases-Shariful Islam and Pranoy Kumar Pramanik confirmed the matter to the media on Sunday (November 9) night.

Sirajganj Court Police Inspector Rawshan Yasdani also said, “We have received the charge-sheets of the three murder cases. Monday (November 10) was the scheduled date for the cases’ hearings. No hearing on the acceptance of the charge-sheet was held on the day as the original documents of the cases were not received by the relevant court from the District Judge’s Court. Consequently, the charge-sheet will be accepted after appearance of the documents at the relevant Court. The next date for the cases has also been set on December 8.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader have been named as accused in the cases for giving direction to attack and killing.

Among others, former Cabinet Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, former MP and Acting General Secretary of the District Awami League Dr. Habib-e-Millat Munna, former MP and Joint Secretary of the District Awami League Jannat Ara Talukder Henry, District Awami League President Hossain Ali Hasan, General Secretary Abdus Samad Talukder, former Mayor of Sirajganj Municipality and Vice President of the District Awami League Syed Abdur Rouf Mukta, former Chairman of Sadar Upazila Parishad and former President of Sadar Upazila Awami League Riaz Uddin, Municipal Awami League President and Editor of the daily Juger Kotha Helal Uddin, General Secretary Selim Ahmed, former Chairman of Zilla Parishad and former MP Jannat Ara Henry’s husband Shamim Talukder Labu, District Awami League Vice President Advocate Abdur Rahman, former President of the District Jubo League Rashed Yusuf Jewel and former General Secretary Ekramul Haque have been made significant accused in the cases, sources said.

It is worth mentioning that, during the anti-discrimination students-public movement on August 4, Awami League leaders and activists killed Sohanur Rahman Ranju, Vice-President of Sirajganj District Jubo Dal, BNP activists Abdul Latif and Sumon Sheikh. In these incidents, on the night of August 22, Moushumi Khatun, wife of Sohanur Rahman Ranju, Saleha Begum, sister of the deceased Abdul Latif and Ali Sheikh, father of BNP activist Sumon Sheikh from the same area filed three separate cases as plaintiffs against the accused.

A total of 900 persons including 463 identified people from the district Awami League and its front organizations were made accused in these three cases. After completing investigation of the cases, three separate charge sheets have submitted to the court.