Rizvi, Gayeshwar cleared of charges in 2018 vandalism, prisoner snatching case

A Dhaka court today discharged a total of 102 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations, including Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, from charges in a case filed over vandalising a prison van and snatching two activists near the High Court in January 2018.
The incident took place when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was returning from a makeshift court after appearing before it in the Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust corruption cases on January 30 of 2018.
Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Miah of Dhaka Special Trubunal-2 passed the order after defence lawyers submitted separate petitions, seeking their discharge from the charges in the case.
In the order, the judge said he discharged them finding no grounds to indict them.
BNP leaders Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Ishaq Ali Sarker, Habibunnabi Khan Sohel, and Saiful Alam Nirob were also among the accused discharged.
According to the case statement, BNP leaders and activists attacked police after a procession from Bakshibazar area when Khaleda Zia was returning from court. They also snatched two of their activists from a prison van.
Following the incident, police arrested a total of 69 BNP men from the spot and filed a case against them with Shahbagh Police Station.
After investigation, police pressed charges against 102 BNP men on January 28, 2020.