Tuku, Palak, Saikat put 10-day remand

A Dhaka court has put former Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku, former State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and General Secretary of general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League's (BCL) Dhaka University unit Tanvir Hasan Saikat on a 10-day remand each in a murder case on Thursday (August 15).

The case was filed by Fatema Khatun, the wife of a rickshaw puller who had been murdered at Purana Paltan in the capital on July 19 evening alleged by the police firing.

After the hearing on Thursday (August 15) afternoon, the Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Rashidul Alam's court passed the order.

Later, the lawyer of the plaintiff Advocate Mosleh Uddin Hossain said, “The police sought 10-day remand. We explained to the court why the 10-day remand is necessary. Then the court considered and put the trio on 10 days remand.”

He said at this time, a lawyer of the accused requested to cancel the remand. However, the court did not consider their plea.

Earlier, in connection with a case filed with Paltan police station, police arrested Tuku, Palak and Saikat from Nikunj residential area under Khilkhet police station in the capital on Tuesday (August 14).

In the case statement, Fatema Khatun said, “My husband Kamal Mia (39) is a rickshaw puller by profession. Around 7:30 pm on July 19, he was waiting on rickshaw for passenger on the VIP road at the mouth of Battala Gali under Paltan Thana. At that time, I came to know through my neighbour that my husband was lying on the road soaked in blood at the mouth of Battala alley on VIP Road. Later, when he was rescued and rushed to Dhaka Medical, the doctor on duty declared him dead.”

The grieving wife further said, “Going to the spot, I came to know that the anti-quota activists blocked the road and set fire to the road and vandalized various vehicles. At that time, a policeman of Paltan Police Station was on his way to office on motorcycle after finishing duty on street from Kakrail. A group of unidentified miscreants grabbed his motorcycle, beat him up and took the pistol, bullets, wireless set, mobile phone, and wallet that he was carrying.”

“On information police from the thana came to rescue their fellow policeman. Then the miscreants fired at the policemen, prompting the police to fire back blank shots. My husband was caught in between the crossfire. He fell on the road with serious injuries being hit by bullets fired by the miscreants. Later he died on the way to the hospital,” she added.