25 Jamaat men sent to jail over cattle market clash in Netrokona

A Netrokona court on Wednesday sent 25 Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists to jail in a case filed over a clash with BNP activists and the torching of a motorcycle during a dispute over the leasing of a cattle market in Purbadhala upazila.

Judge SM Rajibul Hasan of the Netrokona Chief Judicial Magistrate Court passed the order after the accused surrendered before the court and sought bail, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Purbadhala Police Station Md Abdullah Al Mamun.

The OC said the accused had earlier secured eight weeks’ anticipatory bail from the High Court and surrendered before the court on Wednesday as the bail period expired. The court later sent them to jail.

“The case was filed under the Special Powers Act in May this year over a dispute over the leasing of a cattle market. The case is still under investigation,” he said.

Purbadhala upazila Jamaat Nayeb-e-Amir Md Zainal Abedin was among those sent to jail.

According to the case documents, an open auction was held in May to lease temporary cattle markets in 11 unions for the last Eid-ul-Azha. A large number of BNP and Jamaat leaders, activists and supporters took part in the auction.

During the bidding, a clash broke out among the participants over the leasing of Agia Bazar following an altercation between the two groups, prompting the administration to suspend the leasing process.

Following the incident, Jamaat leaders and activists allegedly attacked Jubo Dal leader Shahriar Omar Sharif at Agia Bazar and set his motorcycle on fire.

He later filed a case under the Special Powers Act with Purbadhala Police Station against 33 Jamaat men.