Attack on Hasina's motorcade: Fugitive convict arrested in Dhaka

Saturday, 21 August 2021

Police have arrested a fugitive convict in the attack on Sheikh Hasina’s motorcade in Satkhira in 2002.

Arifur Rahman Ranju, 42, was apprehended in Hazaribagh on Friday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Additional Commissioner (DB) Hafiz Akter said.

Arifur was a leader of the Kalaroa Government College unit of Chhatra Dal, the BNP's student wing, according to police. He is facing 10 years in prison over his involvement in the attack, reports bdnews24.com.

On Aug 30, 2002, Awami League chief Hasina, the then leader of the opposition, went to Satkhira Central Hospital to visit the wife of a freedom fighter who had been raped.

Her motorcade was attacked in front of the Kalaroa Upazila BNP office while she was on her way back to Dhaka. Aside from the bomb attack and vandalism of cars, gunshots were also fired at Hasina.

Central leaders of the Awami League accompanying Hasina along with local activists and journalists were all injured in the attack.

Moslem Uddin, the then general secretary of Kolaroa Awami League, later went to file a case over the incident at the Kolaroa police station but the law-enforcing agency refused to record it.

Moslem Uddin then filed a complaint with the Satkhira court on Sept 21, 2014, more than a decade after the attack. The court subsequently ordered the police to start a case on the basis of the complaint.

Police pressed formal charges against 50 people, including Habibul Islam Habib, a BNP MP at the time, following an investigation. In February, A Satkhira court sentenced accused to jail for varying terms.

Editor : Shamsul Huq Zahid

Published by Syed Manzur Elahi for International Publications Limited from Tropicana Tower (4th floor), 45, Topkhana Road, GPO Box : 2526 Dhaka- 1000 and printed by him from City Publishing House Ltd., 1 RK Mission Road, Dhaka-1000.

Telephone : PABX : 9553550 (Hunting), 9513814, 7172017 and 7172012 Fax : 880-2-9567049

Email : editor@thefinancialexpress.com.bd, fexpress68@gmail.com