A Dhaka court framed charges yesterday against 89 leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations in a case filed over instigating destructive activities during a demonstration in 2018.

The demonstration was held ahead of a court's verdict on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in 2018.

BNP leaders Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, AKM Fazlul Haque Milon, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and Saiful Alam Nirob are among the accused in the case filed with Ramna Model Police Station in February 2018.

Alal, Milon, Shimul Biswas, Tuku, Solel, Nirob and 82 others, now on bail and Enamul Haque, who is now in jail custody, pleaded not guilty after Judge Md Aminul Islam of Dhaka Metropolitan Special Tribunal-16 read out the charges to them yesterday.

Before that, the tribunal dismissed the petitions seeking to have them cleared of the charges in the case.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that around 12:25pm on February 8 of 2018, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations led by Alal held demonstration in the city's Moghbazar area ahead of a judgment against Khaleda Zia, her elder son and BNP's then senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman and four others in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

They also chanted slogans against the government, instigated destructive activities, obstructed movement of vehicles and prevented law enforcers from discharging their duties, the prosecution said.

Following the incident, Sub-Inspector of Ramna Model Police Station Abdul Kuddus filed a case against Alal, Shimul Biswas and 178 others in this connection.

After an investigation, police pressed charges against 90 people, including Alal, Tuku, Sohel and Shimul.