Jatrabari killings: Ex-home secretary Jahangir placed on fresh 8-day remand

A Dhaka court has placed former home affairs secretary Jahangir Alam on a fresh eight-day remand in two cases filed in connection with two murders in the capital's Jatrabari area during last year's mass uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate GM Farhan Istiaq passed the order after the hearing in the presence of the accused today (16 July).

Jahangir was produced before the court in tight security and sent back to the lockup after the hearing.

The case investigation officers, Police Bureau of Investigation Inspectors Md Shahanuzzaman and Sarwar Jahan, sought a five-day remand each in two cases. But, after the hearing, the court granted a five-day and three-day remand in the two cases.

Representing Jahangir Alam during the hearing, lawyer Farzana Yasmin Bithi filed a bail petition and sought cancellation of the fresh remand plea, which the court rejected.

She said, "My client [Jahangir] was a government employee who could not act outside government orders. All government employees are bound to follow the ministry's order. Moreover, he has a heart stent and is physically unwell. He has already been taken on remand several times before. We request dismissal of the remand plea and seek bail."

At the time, while standing in the dock, Jahangir Alam sought permission from the judge to speak.

After the judge granted permission, he said, "There is a limit to falsehood. Allah will not tolerate this. If that limit is crossed, you will be accountable to Allah. False allegations have been made against me. I did not go to the office on 5 August. Yet, an incident from 27 July is being shown as if it occurred on 5 August."

The prosecution objected to his comments and his lawyer's pleas.

The two cases involve the murder of Russel Bokul and Riton Uddin. Russel took part in a protest on 5 August last year near Jatrabari Police Station, where he was reportedly shot by police.

Russel was pronounced dead by the physicians at the hospital. His brother Hasnat Bokul filed a case at Jatrabari police station in this connection.

The other case was also filed at the same police station on 29 August last year over the death of Riton, who also sustained bullet injuries on 5 August near the police station and was declared dead at the hospital.

Jahangir was arrested by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on 1 October 2024.