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Asleep in KL, accused of bombing in Magura

Expats, journos, teacher among those indicted in ‘ghost’ cases
AZIBOR RAHMAN and SHARIFUL ISLAM
Alamin Kazi of Magura’s Shalikha, an expatriate businessman in Malaysia, was in deep sleep at his Kuala Lumpur residence at 4:30am on November 3.
However, as per a case filed at Shalikha Police Station, he hurled crude bombs at police and carried out subversive activities in Shalikha’s Talkhari area with BNP men during that very time.
Meanwhile, Rajib Shikder, hailing from the district’s Mohammadpur upazila, has been an expatriate in Bahrain since he left the country on September 1.
But according to a separate case filed by Mohammadpur police on November 1, Rajib was among activists of BNP and like-minded parties who hurled crude bombs on the road in front of Adarsha Noorani Hafezi Madrasa and Orphanage in the upazila at 11:55pm on that day.
Not only Rajib, the headteacher of a local secondary school and three local journalists are also among the 199 named and 100-150 unnamed accused in that case.
Sub-inspector of Shalikha Police Station Rezaul Kabir and SI of Mohammadpur Police Station Md Mustafizur Rahman separately filed those cases.
The narratives in both cases are identical.
On information, police teams reached the spots when BNP and like-minded party men hurled bombs at the law enforcers and fled the scene, said both documents.
Police seized unexploded crude bombs, scotch tape, pieces of iron, and bamboo sticks from the spot, the cases read.
Alamin is 29th among the 157 named accused in the case filed by Shalilka police. Some 100-130 unidentified others are also shown accused in the case.
“I flew back to Kuala Lumpur on January 6 this year from Shalikha, and since then I have not returned to Bangladesh. Yet I heard that a case was filed against me,” Alamin told The Daily Star over WhatsApp on Wednesday from Malaysia.
“I have a grocery shop here in Kuala Lumpur, and I also do different construction works on sub-contracts,” he said.
“I was never involved with politics. I used to do some social work in Shalikha, as my earnings are good here. Out of jealousy, someone may have instigated police to file the case against me,” Alamin said, adding that he contacted local police, who assured him that they would clear his name from the charge sheet.
Contacted over WhatsApp, Rajib Shikder said, “Once I was involved with Chhatra Dal, but now I have no link with politics. I now work as a food delivery man in Bahrain’s capital, Manama.”
AKM Nasirul Islam, headteacher of RSKH Secondary School (accused no 159), journalists Md Rasel Mollah (accused no 187) and Wahab Biswas (accused no 167) also claimed they were neither involved in politics nor with any such incident.
Journalist Palash Hossain (accused no 165) could not be contacted.
“What a farce! I am now 76 years old. How come I went there at that late hour and blasted crude bombs?” Wahab Biswas said.
Magura district BNP convener Ali Ahmed also confirmed that the headteacher and the three journalists do not hold any party posts, adding that he was not aware if they were supporters of the party.
Biplob Reza Biko, president of Mohammadpur upazila press club, said the three journalists are not involved in politics.
Contacted, SI Mustafizur Rahman declined to comment and advised contacting the station’s OC.
OC Md Borhanul Islam said they arrested seven accused from the spot, and the case was filed against 199 named accused as per their statements.
“If police do not find involvement of anyone during investigation, their names will be cleared from the charge sheet,” he added.
He also said expatriate Rajib’s name was mistakenly printed. In fact, the accused is his brother, Sajib.
SI Rezaul also refused to make any comment regarding the case filed accusing Alamin.
OC Mosharraf Hossain of the police station, however, admitted that it was a mistake, as they did not have enough time to verify, and said it would be corrected.