The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least 50 Khaleda loyalists, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders have been sued, Friday night for breaking emergency through staging "demonstrations" in front of the Election Commission Secretariat on April 17, during the EC meeting with the two BNP factions.

Sub-Inspector of Tejgaon Police Station Deepok Kumar Paul filed the case with his police station Friday night, a week after the incident.

A case was filed against the protesters with Tejgaon police station under the stringent provisions of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR), police source said.

Assistant Sub Inspector Sirajul Islam said yesterday, "The case has been filed against a number of leaders and lawmakers of one faction of the BNP, for breaching security by holding a rally in front of the EC on April 17."

Of the accused, 14 are identified, while around another 40 people remain unnamed in the case details.

The 14 accused are former lawmaker and General Secretary of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal Shirin Sultana, JCD leaders, Aminuzzaman Khan Shimul, Nurul Islam Nayan, Rafiqul Alam, Robin, Abdul Quader, Saiful Islam and Yasin Ali, Swechhasebak Dal leader Zakir Hossain Milon, Rehana Akhter Ranu, Bilkis Jahan, Saimum Begum and Mohiuddin Khan Mohan, former Assistant Press Secretary to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and 40 other JCD leaders and activists.

The supporters of detained BNP chairperson and ex-PM Khaleda Zia staged demonstrations in front of the Election Commission Secretariat on April 17 when the two rival groups of the former ruling party sat for a courtesy meeting with the EC, pending their stalled dialogue on electoral reforms.

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda invited both the BNP's reformist faction leader and Acting Secretary General Hafizuddin Ahmed and BNP's Khaleda-nominated Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain to the EC Secretariat last week.

Hafizuddin accepted the invitation and led a delegation to meet Huda and election commissioners on the morning of April 17.

Pro-Delwar faction supporters chanted slogans in front of the EC office, as Hafizuddin-led group left the secretariat building.

A 15-member delegation of BNP's opposing (Delwar) faction, led by standing committee member Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, met with the EC later the same day. Delwar himself did not attend the meeting.

The ex-Prime Minister Khalada nominated, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said the case was filed 'under a blueprint to destroy nationalist forces'.

"Ruining the nationalist forces won't be allowed," he was quoted as saying by BNP Acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed, in protest against

the filing of the case against his party faithful.

Rizvi denounced the case saying, "The 'false' case has been filed in a planned way. This is a conspiracy."

Rizvi demanded the case be withdrawn immediately.