A Dhaka court today dismissed a complaint filed by BNP against chief of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Harun Or Rashid and nine others over "vandalising" BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on December 7, 2022. Nazim Uddin, a member of BNP's executive committee, filed the complaint with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury (CMM) earlier in the day. However, the court dismissed the complaint, Arman Hossain, bench assistant of that court, told UNB. On December 7 last year, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between BNP activists and police in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, ahead of its December 10 rally. Also read: BNP files complaint with Dhaka court against DB chief, 9 others over ‘vandalising Nayapaltan office’ Police arrested 470 BNP activists and leaders in connection with the clash and they were sued in two cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations.

A complaint was filed with a Dhaka court today against the chief of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Harun Or Rashid, and nine others over “vandalising” BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on December 7, 2022. Nazim Uddin, a member of BNP’s executive committee, lodged the complaint with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury (CMM). The court also recorded the statement of the plaintiff, said Nazim’s lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukdar. Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held However, the court has not given any order yet over accepting the case, said Arman Hossain, bench assistant of that court. On December 7 last year, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between BNP activists and police in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, ahead of its December 10 rally. Police arrested 470 BNP activists and leaders in connection with the clash and they were sued in two cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations.

Police conducted a search operation at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office for the sake of investigation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said today. “It is not unusual for police to search the BNP office, as they have found bombs there, and the law enforcement agencies must check whether there were grenades or other deadly weapons,” he said. The information minister came up with the remarks while unveiling a book titled “Politics of Bangabandhu’s Three Generations” at the Secretariat. Read more: Diplomats don’t have the power to put anyone in power: Information Minister Talking about the BNP’s allegation of police “ransacking” its central office, Hasan said, “Law enforcement agencies carried out the search operation for the sake of investigation.” Criticising BNP for “exaggerating the damages” during the search operation, the minister said BNP “flopped” on December 10. “They boasted of gathering 10 lakh people, but they finished their rally with only 50,000 people.” Read more: BNP MPs resigned to impede democracy: Hasan Mahmud

Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s central office at Nayapaltan in Dhaka was reopened on Sunday noon, four days after closure following police raid at the office. Some BNP leaders led by party organising secretary and acting secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince went to the BNP office around 1pm and entered the office with some lawyers and journalists around 1:15pm. Later they inspected the whole office. Read more: Fakhrul, Abbas, 5 other BNP leaders seek bail, hearing tomorrow Talking to the reporters, Emran Saleh said the police vandalized the furniture and valuables of the office. They also seized the office computers and other equipment. “We will prepare a list of the losses made at the office by the police,” he added. He also asked the lawyers, journalists and party leaders and activists to enter the office carefully as pieces of glasses were scattered everywhere at the office due to the vandalism.

A case has been filed against 75 leaders and activists of BNP and its associated bodies under the Explosive Substances Act over the crude bomb blast in front of the party’s Nayapaltan office. Md Shamim Hossain, sub-inspector (SI) of Paltan Model police station, filed the case naming 15 BNP men, including Dhaka Metropolitan Jubo Dal (south) convener Golam Mawla Shahin, and 50-60 unnamed ones early Sunday. Read more: Crude bomb blast in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office According to the case, about 50-60 unidentified people suddenly started chanting various anti-government slogans with the intention of causing panic in public mind and damaging property in front of the party office in Nayapaltan on Saturday when the Paltan police were performing duty there. Later, a crude bomb went off  in the area. Read more: 15 BNP men detained with crude bombs in C’nawabganj, say district police Police detained three people from the spot while others managed to escape, said SI Shamim.