45 accused sent to jail over attack on BTRC building

A Dhaka court on Friday sent 45 accused to jail in connection with the attack on the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) building.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ishrat Jenifar Jerin passed the order after police produced the accused before the court and sought their detention.

According to the case statement, the 45 arrestees, along with absconding suspects numbered 46 to 54 and around 500–600 unidentified individuals, vandalised the BTRC building in Agargaon under Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in a coordinated attack aimed at creating public panic and disrupting law and order.

During interrogation, the accused admitted that they, along with the absconding and unidentified suspects, gathered in front of the BTRC building at around 3:30pm on 1 January, chanted provocative slogans and carried out premeditated acts of vandalism to damage property and terrorise the public and BTRC staff.

The case statement further said the BTRC officially launched the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system on 1 January. Enraged by the launch, the suspects allegedly attacked the BTRC building, causing damage estimated at around Tk2 crore. They also attacked a 51-seat BTRC staff bus, causing damage worth about Tk1 lakh.

Assistant Director of BTRC Muhammad Ashrafuzzaman Zahed filed the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station over the incident.