6 AL leaders including 3 former MPs shown arrested in Gazipur murder cases
Magistrate Md Omar Haydar granted the prosecution’s plea to show them arrested in the cases. They were later sent back to prison under heavy security
Six high-profile Awami League leaders, including Dipu Moni, Sadhan Chandra Majumder and Zunaid Ahmed Palak, were shown arrested today (22 April) in connection with three murder cases filed at Gachha Police Station in Gazipur Metropolitan City during the anti-discrimination student movement.
The accused were presented before Gazipur Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court-3 around 11am. Magistrate Md Omar Haydar granted the prosecution's plea to show them arrested in the cases. They were later sent back to prison under heavy security.
Those shown arrested are former social welfare minister Dipu Moni, former food ministers Advocate Qamrul Islam and Sadhan Chandra Majumder, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre Maj Gen (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, and Nazrul Islam Mazumder, chairman of Nassa Group and a close associate of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
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Court Inspector Asan Ullah Chowdhury confirmed that the six were brought to court from Dhaka's Keraniganj Central Jail and Gazipur's Kashimpur Central Jail in two prison vans.
They were taken to the courtroom wearing bulletproof vests and helmets, escorted by armed police. Following the hearing, they were returned to their respective jails.
"Among the accused, Dipu Moni, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and Sadhan Chandra Majumder were sent to Kashimpur Central Jail, while the others were sent to Keraniganj," said Asan Ullah.
Security was tight around the court premises throughout the day. After the court proceedings, a group of lawyers aligned with the BNP held a brief protest procession outside the court.
All six individuals had been arrested previously in connection with various cases, and some have appeared before the International Crimes Tribunal and other courts in the past.
Dipu Moni was arrested on 19 August 2024 from Baridhara in the capital. Zunaid Ahmed Palak was detained on 14 August from the Nikunja Residential Area in Khilkhet.
Sadhan Chandra Majumder was arrested on 3 October from Bashundhara. Qamrul Islam was detained on 18 November from Uttara Sector-12. Ziaul Ahsan was handed over to police custody by the army on 15 August.
