A court here on Sunday fixed August 31 to decide whether the chargesheets submitted against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others in two cases filed over Jatrabari arson attack will be accepted or not.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmood Adnan set the fresh date after a hearing on it.

If the chargeshhets are accepted, the hearing on charge framing against the BNP chief and others will continue while arrest warrant will be issued against the fugitives.

On January 23, at least 29 people suffered burn injuries after miscreants hurled two petrol bombs at a Glory Paribahan bus at Katherpul of Jatrabari around 9.30pm on its way to Rupganj from Gulistan. One of the injured later died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Sub-inspector of Jatrabari Police Station KM Nuruzzaman filed the two cases -- one for killing and the other for hurling petrol bombs-- under the Special Powers Act on January 24, making Khaleda the mastermind of the incident.

According to the case statements, the BNP chairperson on January 5 called the countrywide non-stop blockade and asked her leaders and activists to paralyse the country until the government was ousted. Following her directives, her party men torched the bus.

The Detective Brunch (DB) of police submitted three separate charge sheets to the CMM against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 37 others on May 6 and May 19 in the case filed under the Special Powers Act in connection with the incident.

The other accused include BNP joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka City BNP member secretary Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Khaleda’s special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, BNP central leaders Azizul Bari Helal, Sultan Salauddin Tuku and Swechchhasebak Dal secretary Sharafatullah Safu.

UNB/RI