BRUR teacher Mahmudul Haque granted bail

A Rangpur court has granted bail to Mahmudul Haque, a teacher at Begum Rokeya University (BRUR), who was arrested in connection with the controversial murder case of grocery shop owner Shomes Uddin, who died of a heart attack during the July 2024 protest movement.

Judge Mst Marzia Khatun of the Rangpur Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court approved the bail following a hearing on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the day, defense lawyers had applied for bail in Rangpur Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1, where Judge Md. Shoebur Rahman scheduled June 24 for a hearing. The defense then sought immediate relief from the Sessions Court, which granted the petition.

The case has sparked protests among BRUR students and faculty, who gathered outside the court demanding Haque’s unconditional release and withdrawal of what they termed a "politically motivated and conspiratorial" case.

Mahmudul Haque was arrested on June 19 in connection with a murder case filed 10 months after the death of Shomes Uddin. According to the case statement, Uddin, a grocery shopkeeper from Rangpur's Radhakrishnapur area, was allegedly assaulted by ruling party members and later died of a heart attack. The complaint claims police and assailants fled the scene after Uddin collapsed. His wife, Amena Begum, filed the case on June 3, 2025, naming 54 accused, including Sheikh Hasina, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, and several local leaders and citizens. Haque is listed as the 54th accused and identified as a central leader of the Bangabandhu Parishad.

However, inconsistencies in the case have raised serious questions. Both the victim’s wife and son admitted to the media that Shomes died of a heart attack during a police chase and that the case was filed under police direction. They claim they were unaware of who was named in the complaint.

Furthermore, discrepancies have emerged between the case report and official records. While the case states that Uddin died at Prime Medical College Hospital, the district administration’s list of July Movement martyrs lists the place of death as Rangpur Medical College Hospital and names him as “Shomes Uddin.”

The arrest of Mahmudul Haque without a completed investigation has drawn criticism from various quarters. Earlier, another teacher, Delwar Hossain, vice principal of Radhakrishnapur Degree College, was arrested in the same case on June 16 and sent to jail.

Defense lawyer Advocate Shamim Al Mamun stated, “The plaintiff does not know Mahmudul Haque and never mentioned him. This arrest undermines the spirit of the July Movement. We sought justice, and the court responded appropriately.”

The court has scheduled July 2 for submission of the investigation report.