Towhid Afridi denied bail, sent to jail in murder case

A Dhaka court has rejected the bail plea of content creator Towhid Afridi, son of MyTV Chairman Nasir Uddin Sathi, and ordered his detention in jail after remand in connection with the murder of Asadul Haque Babu during the anti-discrimination student protests in the capital.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasib Ullah Piyas passed the order on Saturday (August 30).

Afridi was presented in court after completing a five-day remand. The investigation officer, CID Police Inspector Khan Md. Erfan, requested that Afridi be kept in jail, citing the ongoing examination of digital evidence seized from the accused, including his mobile phone, CPU, and iMac. These items are currently being analyzed by IT forensic experts.

According to the investigation officer, Afridi had made provocative statements on social media during the anti-discrimination movement, contributing to tensions surrounding the protests. Furthermore, he revealed that valuable information had been obtained from Afridi during interrogation, which is still being verified. The officer expressed concerns that if Afridi were granted bail, he could potentially flee and obstruct the investigation.

Afridi's legal team had filed a bail application, but the state opposed it, leading the court to reject the request and order Afridi's continued detention in jail.

Afridi was arrested by the CID from Barishal on the night of August 24, and the following day, the court granted a five-day remand. The charges against him are linked to the fatal shooting of Asadul Haque Babu on August 5, 2024, during the anti-discrimination protests in Jatrabari. Babu was reportedly shot around 2:30pm and later died in the hospital.

The case was filed on August 30, 2025, by Babu's father, Joynal Abedin, at Jatrabari Police Station, a year after the incident. A total of 25 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, were named in the charges. Towhid Afridi is accused number 11, and his father, Nasir Uddin Sathi, is accused number 22.

Nasir Uddin Sathi, also implicated in the case, was arrested by police from Gulshan on August 17 and, like his son, was sent to jail after a remand on August 23.