A case has been filed yesterday (November 8, 2022) night against at least 200 leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations over the vandalism of billboards, banners and festoons with photos of Bangabandhu and the prime minister.
The vandalism took place during a protest march of BNP activists after party leader AFM Kamal was stabbed to death by five miscreants in Sylhet city's Barabazar area on Sunday night (November 6, 2022).
Advocate Zahid Sarwar Sabuj, a member of Sylhet city unit of Awami League, filed the case with Sylhet Kotwali Police Station accusing 200-250 unknown leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organizations, Sylhet Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Azbahar Ali Sheikh said.
Four persons have been arrested in connection with the vandalism, he said.
Police earlier detained four people -- Ishtiaq Ahmad Raju, Badrul Islam Nazrul, Milad Ahmad and Razib Ahmad -- under section 54 on Monday and Tuesday (November 7 and 8, 2022). They have been shown arrest in the case.
After the murder of BNP's former health affairs secretary Kamal, a group of party leaders and activists brought out a procession from Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital at around 11:30 pm.
In a statement last night (November 8, 2022), Sylhet District and Metropolitan Awami League condemned the incident and termed it "an attempt of BNP terrorists to make unstable the city's political harmony".
They also threatened to resist the BNP rally scheduled for November 19 "if the party is not guided in the right direction".
However, Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Quiyum Choudhury said that this case has been filed with an intention to obstruct the Sylhet divisional rally of November 19.
"On Sunday night, our decision was not to hold any protest march. We have said earlier that no party leader or activist is responsible for this procession and vandalism. In this situation, this case was motivated to obstruct the rally. It is out of political etiquette to file the case ahead of the rally and we condemn this."
