Shahjahan Omar shown arrested in two more attempted murder cases

A Dhaka court has ordered former lawmaker and lawyer Barrister Muhammad Shahjahan Omar to be shown arrested in two separate attempted murder cases filed over the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement.

Two separate Dhaka metropolitan magistrate courts passed the order on Monday (August 31).

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sefatullah ordered him shown arrested in a case over the alleged attempted murder of a teenager named Sohag in Banani, while Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam passed a similar order in a case involving an alleged attack on Md Muktar Hossain in Mirpur.

State counsel Muhammad Shamsuddohha Suman confirmed the development.

Earlier, investigating officers in the two cases separately petitioned the courts to show Shahjahan Omar arrested. Banani police Sub-Inspector Jewel Sarker filed the application on August 24, while Mirpur police Sub-Inspector Azizul Haque submitted a similar petition on August 25. The courts scheduled Monday’s hearings in the presence of the accused.

According to the Mirpur case documents, Muktar Hossain was taking part in the anti-discrimination movement in the Mirpur-10 area on August 4, 2024, when he was injured by a rubber bullet allegedly fired by police. He was later assaulted and taken to hospital by locals. After recovering, he filed the case.

In the Banani case, the prosecution alleged that Sohag was participating in the movement in the Banani area on July 19, 2024, when he was shot twice in the chest. He was initially taken to a hospital in Mohakhali and later admitted to Samorita Hospital after reportedly failing to receive treatment there. One bullet was removed surgically, while the second was later removed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The case further alleges that attackers went to Sohag’s residence on July 21 and carried out another assault, following which his father filed a case with Banani police.

Police later sought an order to show Shahjahan Omar arrested in the case.

Tension was reported at the court premises as Shahjahan Omar was brought to court on Monday. Some people present reportedly chanted slogans including “Mir Jafar” and “fake” against him.

After hearing the petitions in the two cases, the courts ordered that Shahjahan Omar be shown arrested.