A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against 23 BNP leaders and activists, including party chairperson Khaleda Zia's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan and her personal assistant Shimul Biswas, in a case filed over torching vehicles in the capital's Mirpur area.

After accepting the charges against the accused, Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order and set November 19 for submission of the report on execution of the arrest warrants.

BNP leaders Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Amanullah Aman, Habibunnabi Khan Sohel and 15 other accused who are now on bail were present at the court yesterday.

BNP leaders Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Saiful Alam Nirob and Azizul Bari Helal are among the fugitive accused.

The case was filed with Mirpur Police Station against 41 individuals on March 10, 2015 during a non-stop movement enforced by the BNP-led-20-party alliance. Police pressed charges against the 41 on July 24,2016.

Court sources said over 35 arrest warrants were earlier issued against Maruf, Nirob, Helal, Tuku and Shimul in different cases filed in January, February and March of 2015.