Hasina, Joy among 125 named in case over BNP activist’s death during July Uprising

A Dhaka court has ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate allegations brought against 125 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, over the death of BNP activist Zahid Hossain Rabbi during the 2024 July Uprising in the capital's Khilgaon.

Rabbi's uncle Naim Kalimullah Sarker, a Jubo Dal member of the Jhilpar unit in Khilgaon, filed the case application with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Raunak Jahan Taki on 15 September.

The court recorded the complainant's statement and directed the PBI to investigate the allegations and submit its report by 2 November; Court Bench Assistant Md Ripon Mia confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

The accused include former Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former adviser Salman F Rahman, former security affairs adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former law minister Anisul Huq, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former food minister Kamrul Islam and former culture minister Asaduzzaman Noor.

Awami League presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Shajahan Khan, Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Abdur Razzaq are also among those named.

The case also names former environment and forests minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, former textiles and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Hasanul Haq Inu, Rashed Khan Menon, former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, former state ministers Nasrul Hamid Bipu, Mohammad Arafat and Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and former city mayors Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Atiqur Rahman and Jahangir Alam.

Former MPs Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Sheikh Helal, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Mirza Azam, Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury alias Nixon Chowdhury, Nur Mohammad, Saifuzzaman Shekhor, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon, Nazrul Islam Babu and Dr Habib-e-Millat are also accused.

Among the former senior civil servants named are former chief secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, former cabinet secretary Mahbub Hossain, former additional secretary Harun-or-Rashid Biswas, former joint secretary Dhananjay Kumar Das and Abul Fazal Mir Badal, and former additional secretary Shayla Farzana Shiuli.

The case also names former IGPs AKM Shahidul Haque, Benazir Ahmed, Javed Patwary and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun; former NTMC director general Ziaul Ahsan; former DMP commissioners Md Asaduzzaman Mia and Habibur Rahman; former DB chief Harun-or-Rashid; former SB chief Monirul Islam; and Abdul Kahar Akand.

Lawyers Syed Rezaur Rahman, Najeebullah Hiru, Mosharraf Hossain Kajol and Khurshid Alam Khan have also been named.

According to the complaint, Rabbi was involved in BNP politics and worked as a photographer and graphic designer. He regularly participated in protests during the July Uprising.

On 5 August 2024, he joined a demonstration in the Taltala area of Khilgaon. He was allegedly shot at around 2pm and taken to Mugda Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The PBI will now investigate the allegations and submit its report to the court by 2 November.