A Dhaka court on Wednesday approved a police plea to show five top Awami League leaders arrested in two separate cases regarding the mass killings during the July Uprising.
The accused include former law minister Anisul Huq, ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's adviser Salman F Rahman, former education minister Dipu Moni, and Chhatra League cadre Raja Badsha alias "Pichchi" Raja, confirmed Public Prosecutor Azizul Haque (Didar), TBS reports.
Former senior secretary of the ICT Division NM Ziaul Alam was also shown arrested in a separate murder case filed with Kafrul Police Station.
The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan granted the police's petition following a hearing in the morning.
The accused were brought to the courtroom under tight security from jail.
In the case filed with Mohammadpur Police Station, the accused are charged with attempting to kill one Md Sohel Rana during the July protest on 5 August 2024.
According to the case statement, Sohel was shot at around 2:30 pm that day and later admitted to hospital with serious injuries. He still remains in recovery.
The attempted murder case was formally lodged on 11 June this year, naming 222 individuals, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as accused.
Meanwhile, on 23 December 2024, businessman Ahsan Habib filed a case with Kafrul police station regarding the death of Md Atikul Islam, who was shot on 19 July 2024, near the BRTA office in the area during another demonstration. Atikul was declared dead at the hospital.
NM Ziaul Alam has now been shown arrested in that case.
bd-pratidin/GR
