BCL leader threatens to sue police

Abbas, BCL joint secretary of Dhaka University's Sir AF Rahman hall, said this at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the wake of JMB chief Abdur Rahman's confession that he ordered the attack.

The BCL leader said he passed Higher Secondary School examinations from Dhaka College in 1998 and enrolled at Dhaka University. "There is not even any general diary against me, but the police branded me as Boma Abbas," he said.

Ramna police arrested Abbas on February 28, 2004 near the Central Shaheed Minar immediately after his taking part in a demonstration against the attack on Azad. Unidentified assailants attacked Prof Azad near Bangla Academy the previous day.

"Police blindfolded me, hanged me from the ceiling and started beating up me with sticks and kicking me," said Abbas, who was released on bail three days ago.

He alleged the police brutally tortured him to squeeze a confession that he carried out the attack on orders from Sheikh Hasina and under supervision of BCL President Liakot Shikder and General Secretary Nazrul Islam Babu.

"What I can recall now is that the police kept me bloodied all over in a cell. I was desperately asking for water but they did not give me anything to drink for long."

"Still tears burn my eyes when I remember the torture," Abbas said in a choked voice.