Ex-MP Zafar Alam placed on four-day remand

A Dhaka court has placed former Member of Parliament Zafar Alam on a four-day remand in connection with the murder of Jubo Dal leader Shamim during the BNP's grand rally held on 28 October 2023.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Partha Bhadra issued the remand order on Monday after hearing the remand petition submitted by the investigation officer, who had sought a seven-day remand to facilitate proper investigation.

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki appeared on behalf of the state, while no defence counsel represented the accused during the hearing.

Zafar Alam, who represented the Cox's Bazar-1 (Chakaria-Pekua) constituency, was previously sent to jail by Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefat Ullah on 28 April, a day after his arrest in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area by detectives from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB).

According to case details, the BNP had called a grand rally in the capital on 28 October last year as part of its central programme, while the ruling Awami League held a counter rally on the same day.

It is alleged that an attack was carried out on the BNP rally with support from the police, targeting party activists.

Jubo Dal leader Shamim was killed in the incident. The case was filed with Paltan Police Station on 24 September 2024.

Zafar Alam was elected to parliament in 2018 as an Awami League candidate but contested the 2024 twelfth parliamentary elections as an independent candidate, in which he was defeated.

He also served as the mayor of Chakaria Municipality from 2004 to 2010, and was elected chairman of Chakaria Upazila Parishad in 2014 as an Awami League nominee.

Since the change in government, at least 15 to 16 cases, including murder charges, have reportedly been filed against him in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Chakaria and Pekua upazila.