Owner of Misfallah sweets shop at GEC crossing in Chittagong Azadur Rahman, who filed a case against BNP leader M Morshed Khan MP, his son and several party activists on December, yesterday submitted an application to the Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner seeking withdrawal of the case.
A copy of the application was made available to The Daily Star yesterday.
Azadur Rahman also sent
copies of the application to the home minister, inspector general of police, deputy police commissioner (North), Chittagong, officer-in-charge of Kulshi police station, Chittagong and secretary of Chittagong Press Club.
The shop-owner in his application said that he lodged a complaint with Kulshi thana on December 26 against M Morshed Khan MP, his son Faisal Morshed Khan and others following an untoward incident
that caused damage worth about Tk 1.10 lakh to his shop.
He said police recorded his complaint under the CrPC 143/448/323/427/380 and gave him a copy of the case.
Immediately after filing the complaint, Rahman, the plaintiff of the case, said he reached a settlement with the defendants with the cooperation of the local elite. "After the compromise, I submitted a copy of the settlement to Kulshi thana, but the police deliberately refused to accept the copy," he said. "Now I am not interested in go ahead with the case as we have settled the conflict."
Azadur Rahman in his application informed the CMP commissioner that he came to know through Ekushey TV that the complaint, which was first recorded under the section 143/448/323/427/380 of CrPC, was later brought under the Public Safety Act.
The plaintiff requested the CMP commissioner for taking necessary steps regarding the withdrawal of the case in the light of the compromise between the plaintiff and the defendants.
He enclosed copies of the original complaint lodged with Kulshi police station and the compromise agreement along with his application for consideration by the CMP commissioner.
Meanwhile, driver of Faisal Morshed Khan, who was allegedly manhandled during the incident, filed a case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court, Chittagong yesterday.
The chief metropolitan magistrate referred the case to Kulshi police station and instructed the Kulshi police to take necessary action after recording it as an FIR, court sources said.
Additional police force has been deployed at strategic points at the port city to avoid untoward
incident in the wake of the agitation programmes launched by the Chittagong chapter of the BNP-led All Party Action Council (APAC).
According to reports received from Chittagong, a week-long agitation programme called by the APAC began yesterday to protest filing of the 'false' case against Morshed Khan, his son and several BNP and JCD activists under the PSA.
Hundred of opposition leaders, activists and supporters under the banner of the APAC staged demonstration in the city yesterday afternoon. Activists chanted anti-government slogans and called for withdrawal of the case immediately.
They paraded different city streets and later held a rally at Kazir Dewri. Presided over by APAC convenor and city BNP President Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin, it was addressed, among others, by BNP's joint secretary general Abdullah Al Noman, city BNP general secretary Dastagir Chowdhury and local leader Golam Akber Khandaker.
The speakers alleged that the case was filed to taint the image of Morshed Khan. They threatened to go for vigorous movement if the case was not withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka city unit of BNP yesterday announced a protest rally at Muktangan at 3pm today to protest filing of the case.