Sheikh Hasina faces murder charges

A case has been filed against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and several others over the murder of grocery shop owner Abu Sayed in the capital’s Mohammadpur. 

SM Ameer Hamza Shatil, a businessman from Adabar, filed the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury on Tuesday. 

The court recorded his statement and ordered the Mohammadpur police station to register the case. 

The other accused are former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, Additional Commissioner Md Harun-or-Rashid, and Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarker.

Abu Sayeed was killed when police opened fire indiscriminately on students and other people during the quota reform movement around 4:00 pm on July 19. This is the first case against the former prime minister since she left the country and sought refuge in India on August 5 amid mass protests.

According to the case statement, several thousand students and other people organised rallies during the quota reform movement. The bullets were fired indiscriminately at peaceful rallies across the country. Many students and others were killed and injured. Police opened fire when students and people were holding a peaceful procession in the 40-feet area of Basila in Mohammadpur. Grocery shopkeeper Abu Sayeed was struck by a bullet in the head and died on the spot.

The plaintiff also mentioned that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly directed to suppress the quota reform movement with strong hand. The Inspector General of Police and other top officials ordered their subordinates to open fire on the processions, following the directions of Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan.