Freedom fighter named in sabotage case seven months after death

Detailed summary

Zahirul Haque Samchu Dhali had been dead for nearly seven and a half months when his name appeared on a police case list accusing 251 people of sabotage near the Padma Bridge…

Zahirul Haque Samchu Dhali had been dead for nearly seven and a half months when his name appeared on a police case list accusing 251 people of sabotage near the Padma Bridge South Toll Plaza.

The 76-year-old freedom fighter was listed as accused number 219 in a case filed over crude bomb explosions, truck vandalism and an expressway blockade on the night of November 9.

Samchu Dhali, who was the acting president of Kutubpur Union Awami League, hailed from Dhalikandi village in Madaripur's Shibchar upazila.

According to the Shibchar upazila administration, however, Samchu Dhali died on March 29. His death certificate records that he died of natural causes. Shibchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer HM Ibne Mizan also confirmed his death after checking official records.

The inclusion has drawn criticism, with Advocate Shahidul Islam Sojib of the Shariatpur District Bar Association questioning how a man who had been dead for months could be accused of participating in the incident.

"He is a freedom fighter who fought for the country. Even after death, he was not spared from being accused in a case. This is deplorable. By naming him an accused, his deceased body has been insulted," Sojib told The Daily Star.

His son, Nazmul Haque Dhali, said his father had received state honours at his funeral. He alleged that his father was implicated solely because of his political affiliation and demanded that his name be removed from the accused list.

Case plaintiff Sub-Inspector Akram Hossain of Padma Bridge South Police Station said he had received the names from higher authorities and included them accordingly.

Officer-in-Charge Md Abdus Salam said the case was filed against 251 named and 600-700 unidentified people under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Daily Star. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.