41,551 accused in two cases filed in Ctg

Within a span of 24 hours, two cases have been filed accusing around 41,551 people on charges of attempting to murder, and attacking a police station and looting firearms in Chattogram.
The case with the attempted murder charge has been filed against 351 people including the former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, and 1,200 unnamed people early yesterday.
Just a day earlier, on Friday, another case was lodged, accusing 40,000 unnamed people on charges of attacking on-duty police personnel, vandalising property, looting firearms and ammunition, and setting fire to the police station.
Both cases were filed with the Kotwali Police Station in CMP, SM Obaidul Haque, Officer-in-Charge of the police station, confirmed the development to The Daily Star.
Police, however, declined to elaborate when asked why the cases were registered with so many unnamed people as accused. No one was arrested in these cases till filing of this report last night.
Moin Uddin Razib, the convener of the Anderkella Ward Jubo Dal, filed the attempt-to-murder case with the Kotwali Police Station.
Some other accused named in the FIR are former MP of Chandgaon-Boalkhali constituency Abdus Salam, former MP of Pahartali-Double Mooring constituency Mohiuddin Bacchu, MA Latif of Bandar-Patenga constituency, former MP of Sitakunda constituency Didarul Alam, former President of Chittagong University Chhatra League Shahjahan Chowdhury, city Swechchhasebak League President Debashish Debu, city unit Chhatra League President Imran Ahmed, General Secretary Zakaria Dostagir, and former central Jubo League member Rintu Das.
The other accused in the case are mostly leaders and activists of the Awami League and affiliated organisations.
According to the case statement, the plaintiff was threatened and assaulted by the named and unnamed accused with sticks, roads, and weapons while he was attending the student movement protests on August 4.
On the other hand, Inspector (Investigation) Ripon Kumar Das of Kotwali Police Station filed the case over the attack on the police station, accusing 30,000 to 40,000 unnamed miscreants under various sections of the Penal Code, the Explosives Act, and the Special Powers Act.
In the case statement, Rajon claimed that around 30,000 to 40,000 attackers stormed the police station on August 5, carrying weapons and explosives. They looted government property, damaged vehicles and documents, and stole firearms, ammunition, and cash after vandalising the station and setting it on fire.
A series of cases are being filed against the Awami League lawmakers, ministers, and advisers following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 amid massive protests by the students and people.
After the fall of the regime, at least 43 police officials were killed as hundreds of police establishments including police stations came under attack by the mobs.