July murder case: 50 charged including Sheikh Hasina, 49 found not guilty

A case was filed over the death of Rakib Hossain (29) during the anti-discrimination movement at the Mirpur-10 intersection in the capital, naming 98 individuals and 100 unidentified persons as accused. After completing the investigation, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a charge sheet against 50 accused, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, the investigation found no evidence against 49 others, and they have been recommended for acquittal.

Investigating officer and PBI Inspector Md Mominul Islam submitted the charge sheet to the court on July 13. He said that after completing the investigation and a comprehensive review, a charge sheet was filed against 50 individuals. Additionally, 49 people who were either not present in the Mirpur area at the time of the incident or whose names were included in the First Information Report (FIR) with malicious intent have been recommended for acquittal.

Other accused in the charge sheet include: now-defunct Awami League General Secretary and former Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former DB chief Harun-or-Rashid, former Additional Joint Commissioner of Police Biprob Kumar, former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former MPs Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Elias Mollah, Metropolitan Awami League leader SM Mannan Kochi, Ekhlas Uddin Mollah, and former councillor Kashem Mollah.

Among those recommended for acquittal are: former MP and Chairman of Anwar Khan Modern Hospital Anwar Hossain Khan, former MP of Kushtia-3 Kamrul Arefin, former MP of Pabna-4 Galibur Rahman Sharif, Managing Director of Alok Healthcare Limited Md Lokman Hossain, and garment businessman Elias Ahmed Talukder.

In the charge sheet, Investigating Officer Mominul Islam said that after the government abolished the quota system for Class 1 and Class 2 government jobs through a notification on July 12, 2018, the High Court declared the notification illegal on June 5, 2024. This reignited the debate over the quota system. The High Court's decision sparked renewed quota reform protests, and from July 2024, unarmed students from Dhaka University and nearly all public and private universities began protesting on the streets.

The protests spread across Dhaka and throughout Bangladesh. To suppress the protests, leaders and activists of the then Awami League government's various associate bodies engaged in efforts to thwart the legitimate movement of unarmed students, resorting to various tactics. The then government did not concede to the students' legitimate demands but instead gave provocative statements through print and electronic media targeting the protesters, which ultimately turned the movement into a revolution.

The investigation officer also noted that the accused, including Sheikh Hasina, held secret meetings and conspired to suppress the student-public movement. Central leaders of the Awami League and police officials delivered provocative statements to suppress the movement across Bangladesh, including in Mirpur. The accused conspired to violently halt the students' and public's legitimate movement through force.

The investigation officer said an application was made to the court to exhume the victim's body for autopsy. Following the court's order, the Executive Officer of Harinakundu upazila visited the victim's grave to facilitate the exhumation. However, due to objections from family members and locals, it was not possible to exhume the body.

According to the case, Rakibul participated in the anti-discrimination movement on July 17, 2024. Around 9pm that night, when a procession of protesters reached the Mirpur-10 intersection, the accused opened fire with firearms. Rakib Hossain (29) was struck by a bullet on the left side of his neck. He was taken to Dr Azmal Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 9:15pm.