Court orders ex-MP Afzal to be shown arrested in Banga Bazar arson case
In the application, police said preliminary investigations had found evidence of Afzal Hossain's involvement in the alleged offences, making it necessary to formally show him arrested in the case.
A Dhaka court today (6 July) ordered that former member of parliament Md Afzal Hossain of Kishoreganj-5 be shown arrested in a case filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the alleged arson, vandalism and damage at Banga Bazar Market in the capital.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana passed the order following an application by police, confirmed State Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon.
Earlier, the investigating officer, Shahbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Mainul Islam Khan Pulak, produced the accused before the court and sought permission to show him arrested in the case.
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In the application, police said preliminary investigations had found evidence of Afzal Hossain's involvement in the alleged offences, making it necessary to formally show him arrested in the case.
According to the case statement, 2,370 shop owners had been operating businesses at Banga Bazar Complex in Fulbaria with approval from the then Dhaka City Corporation.
The complaint alleged that after Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2008, Afzal Hossain was elected as an MP and later became the general secretary of the market's shop owners' association, establishing dominance over the Banga Bazar area.
It further alleged that the number of shops was increased from 2,370 to 2,961, and that around Tk200 crore was misappropriated through the allocation of the additional 591 shops.
According to the complaint, in 2017 a plan was approved to demolish the existing market and construct an eight-storey commercial building with 4,412 shops.
On 23 July 2017, the city corporation asked the market association's president and general secretary to vacate the market. The association sought clarification regarding the size of the replacement shops and the timeline for their allocation, but alleged that no response was received.
The complaint said two further eviction notices were later issued, and around 300 police personnel were deployed on 15 July 2019 to carry out an eviction drive, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
It further alleged that, after their plans were obstructed, the accused deliberately set fire to the market in the early hours of 4 April 2023. The blaze allegedly caused losses estimated at around Tk500 crore.
The case was filed in November by Banga Bazar trader Kamal Hossain Ripon with Shahbagh Police Station.
