BNP's Goyeshwar to be questioned in police custody over alleged attempt on AL MP's life

A Dhaka court has remanded BNP leader Goyeshwar Chandra Roy for three days, who has been arrested on charge of attempt on the life of Awami League MP Chhabi Biswas.

Shahbagh Police OC Md Habil Hossain (investigation) produced the Standing Committee member in the court on Friday afternoon and appealed for a ten-day remand to interrogate him.

The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Tasruzzaman rejected the bail plea by defence lawyers and granted three days' police custody after the hearing.

Lawyer Salma Hai Tuni represented the state while Sanaullah Mia and Masud Ahmed Talukder along with other pro-BNP lawyers argued Goyeshwar's case at the hearing.

Detectives raided the BNP policymaker's home in Siddeshwari and arrested him in the early hours of Friday, two days after the Bakshibazar clash between the Awami League and BNP activists, and an attack on a ruling party MP.

Later, Detective Branch Deputy Commisioner Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com that Goyeshwar had been shown arrested in the case filed at Shahbagh Police Station over the attack on ruling party's Netrakona-1 MP Biswas at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

The case, filed on Wednesday night, accused BNP chief Khaleda Zia's advisor Abdul Awal Mintoo, BNP central leaders Habibunnabi Khan Sohel, and Azizul Bari Helal, and other former and present leaders of the Chhatra Dal.

But Goyeshwar had not been named.

Meanwhile, tension was running high over the BNP and the Awami League's student front announcing rallies simultaneously at Gazipur's Bhawal Badre Alam Government College ground.

Goyeshwar's laywers highlighted the issue at the hearing.

"Goyeshwar Roy was beside Khaleda Zia at the Bakshibazar courtroom on Wednesday when the MP was attacked in front of the medical. His name has been put in the case in a plan to foil the Gazipur rally," laywer Sanaullah Mia said.

The lawyers also appealed to the court for Goyeshwar's treatment in prison.

Clashes had erupted between the ruling party and BNP supporters in front of a special court in Bakshibazar on Wednesday before Khaleda appeared there for a hearing on her corruption charges.

At one stage during the clash, the car of MP Biswas, who went to the DMCH to see an ailing freedom fighter, was set ablaze. He also suffered injuries to the head and had to be hospitalised.

Police and the Awami League blamed the BNP and student affiliate Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists for the incident, but the BNP denied the allegations.

Police filed two cases on Wednesday night over the attack on Biswas and the clashes.

Twenty-three people were named as accused in the case concerning the attack on the MP while about 60 unidentified people were also booked.

The other case accused 70 persons with names and another 30 to 40 unidentified people.

In photos published by the media on Thursday, Bangladesh Chhatra League activists were seen to be brandishing firearms and wielding sticks and bamboos but no one from the student affiliate of the ruling party was among the accused.