A case has been lodged against Sheikh Hasina and 113 others in connection with the 2015 attack on the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
The First Information Report (FIR), filed by Md Bellal Hossain, general secretary of the BNP’s Tejgaon unit at Tejgaon Police Station in the capital on Sunday (18 August) also mentions 500 to 700 unidentified individuals alleged to have participated in the assault.
The FIR outlines the events of 20 April 2015, when Khaleda Zia was participating in an election campaign for BNP-backed mayoral candidate Tabith Awal in the Dhaka North City Corporation polls. Between 12:30-1:00pm, as her convoy passed through Kawran Bazar, near the BAPEX Building, Palli Bhaban, the Family Planning Office, and Kaws Supermarket, it was allegedly attacked with the intent to assassinate her. The attackers, reportedly members and supporters of the Awami League and its affiliate organisations, were said to have been armed and formed an illegal assembly.
Assailants are accused of causing extensive damage to all vehicles in Khaleda Zia’s convoy, severely injuring several BNP leaders and activists, including members of her security detail.
Despite appeals for assistance, Tejgaon Police allegedly remained inactive during the incident. The complaint asserts that the attack was premeditated and carried out with the intention to kill, under the influence of political motives.
The FIR names Sheikh Hasina, the then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and three others as orchestrators of the attack.
Seven individuals are accused of financing the operation, while the remaining 101 named persons are identified as direct participants.
Additionally, the complaint implicates 500 to 700 unknown perpetrators.
The delayed filing of the case is attributed to the political climate at the time, which allegedly prevented the victim from seeking justice immediately.
