Bir Muktijoddha accused in sabotage case 7.5 months after death

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Padma Bridge South Police Station Md Abdus Salam has confirmed that a Bir Muktijoddha and former Awami League leader of Madaripur has been made an accused in a case filed on charges of sabotage in the Padma Bridge area nearly seven and a half months after his death.

Although his name is at serial number 219 in the FIR of the case, he died on March 29. Questions have been raised over the process of preparing the police case and verifying the list of accused over this incident.

OC Md Abdus Salam confirmed this information of the case on Sunday (November 15).

The person who has been made an accused is Zahirul Haque Samchu Dhali, 76. He was the former acting president of Kutubpur Union Awami League of Shibchar upazila in Madaripur. Locally known as a Bir Muktijoddha, Samchu Dhali was a resident of Dhalikandi area of Kutubpur union.

According to police and case documents sources, incidents of protest, road blockade, vandalism of vehicles and cocktail explosion took place in front of the toll plaza at the southern end of the Padma Bridge in Naodoba area of Jajira upazila in Shariatpur on the night of November 9. It has been alleged that leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its associate organisations were involved in this.

After that incident Sub-Inspector (SI) of the police station Akram Hossain filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Padma Bridge South Police Station on November 12. The names of 251 persons have been mentioned in the case. Alongside another 600 to 700 unknown persons have been made accused. The name of the late Samchu Dhali is at serial number 219 of the FIR.

However, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Shibchar H M Ibne Mizan has confirmed the matter of Samchu Dhali’s death. He said according to the government death certificate, Samchu Dhali died a natural death on March 29. That is, his death occurred nearly seven and a half months before the incident mentioned in the allegation of the case.

Samchu Dhali’s son Nazmul Haque Dhali has expressed anger over this incident. He said his father was buried with state honour after his death. Even after that he has been made an accused in the case only because of being associated with the politics of the Awami League after his death.

In this regard OC of Padma Bridge South Police Station Md Abdus Salam said the list of accused of the case has been prepared on the basis of information given by the intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. It was not verified earlier whether the name of any deceased person is in the list. If the truth of the matter is found in the investigation, his name will be dropped from the charge sheet.