Plaintiff moves to withdraw case against ZI Khan Panna, says accusation was 'mistaken'

The withdrawal application was filed after the High Court granted anticipatory bail to the accused on Monday

Md Bakar, the plaintiff who accused senior Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna in the attempted murder case of a young man who was shot during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, has petitioned to withdraw the allegations against him.

On Monday, Bakar filed an application requesting to drop Panna’s name from the case filed at the Khilgaon Police Station, stating that he was ‘mistakenly’ listed as one of the accused.

He has also requested police to submit an inquiry report that excludes Panna’s name from the case.

Md Daud Hossain, the chief of Khilgaon Police Station, told bdnews24.com: “The plaintiff Bakar has made an application to me today. In his application he has stated that ZI Khan Panna was wrongly accused in the case and has requested to withdraw his name from it. I have accepted the application. The investigation officer has been directed to take action accordingly.”

Meanwhile, the High Court had granted Panna anticipatory bail in the same case until the submission of the investigation report.

The case, registered on Oct 17, lists Panna as the 94th accused.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred in July during the student movement where an individual named Ahadul Islam was shot. Ahadul’s father Md Bakar filed the case, alleging that the shooting amounted to a murder attempt.

The case also implicates several prominent figures, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, the director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), along with 176 others.

According to the case dossier, on Jul 19, Ahadul participated in a student protest near the Shukkur Ali Garments intersection at Meradia in Dhaka’s Khilgaon.

“At that time, police, BGB, Rapid Action Battalion, and leaders and activists of the Awami League, its affiliated organisations, and the 14-Party Alliance attacked with weapons, exploded cocktails and sound grenades, and fired gunshots,” the case reads.

The first information report, or FIR, alleges that the gunfire was intended to suppress the peaceful movement with the aim of killing protesters. Ahadul was shot in the left leg and collapsed on the street. The attackers allegedly beat him further before he was taken to a nearby hospital.

“We registered the case based on the complainant’s allegations. Anyone proven innocent during the investigation will be exempted from the charges,” said Khilgaon Police Station chief Md Daud Hossain.

Reacting to his inclusion in the case, Panna claimed “influential forces” were behind the move, adding: “These cases won’t silence me. Even if my dead body lies here, they can’t stifle my conscience. Mind it, I am a freedom fighter.”

Meanwhile, rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra, or ASK, has condemned the case against Panna, calling it "unfortunate" and "unwarranted."