Police yet to arrest Bogra BNP leader

Ahsanul Tayeeb Zakir, president of Sonatala BNP in Bogra, has been moving freely and even attending public functions, but he has been reported as 'absconding' since the arrest warrant was issued, said a Care press release on Tuesday.

Two newspapers -- the daily Prothom Alo and the daily Korotoa -- published reports on September 13 that Zakir joined an anti-drug rally, which was also attended by the officer-in-charge of Sonatala Police Station, in the wake of the Tangail court's order to publish his photograph in two national dailies.

On August 29, Care Country Director Steve Wallace and Deputy Country Director Hasan Mazumder met the inspector general of police who assured that Zakir will be arrested as soon as possible.

The press release said Zakir, also the administrator of Sonatala municipality, assaulted Care staff Rokeya Begum and humiliated her in public on February 10, 2002 at Sonatala Sadar Union as her motorcycle was parked on the driveway where Zakir's car was about to be parked.

Rokeya then lodged a general diary with the local police station and filed a criminal case against him under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000.

The police initially refused to register the case, which was then transferred to the Detective Branch. But the report submitted by the DB was 'biased', the press release added.

Rokeya then filed a 'Naraji Petition' (objection) with the court, which has long been pending for hearing. Later, she filed a petition with the High Court in 2003 with an appeal to transfer the case to the Tangail court for fair judgement. The case was transferred to Tangail on January 25 this year.

Care Bangladesh has suspended all its activities at Sonatala Upazila for an indefinite period in the wake of the case.