Former speaker Shirin gets bail in July attempted murder case
She was arrested in Dhanmondi of the capital in the early hours of 7 April in a case filed with Lalbagh Police Station
A Dhaka court has granted bail to former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in a case filed over a murder attempt during the July Uprising in the capital's Lalbagh area.
The order was issued this afternoon following a hearing by the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain in Dhaka.
Defence lawyer ABM Hamidul Misbah said the court granted the former speaker bail on a bond of Tk50,000.
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The case accuses her in connection with the attempted murder of Ashraful, also known as Fahin, under Lalbagh Police Station's jurisdiction.
In court, Shirin Sharmin's defence lawyers argued that there are no specific allegations against the accused. They told the court that the accused is seriously ill and "close to death," suffering from heart disease, having already suffered one heart attack.
They said she also has poor eyesight, high blood pressure and diabetes. They added that her life would be at risk if bail is not granted on medical grounds, stating that she faces no other cases besides this one.
They appealed for bail on the grounds of her being a woman and her deteriorating health.
Opposing the bail application, Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi argued that the accused was a close associate of fascist Sheikh Hasina. He said the case in which she has been arrested is still under investigation and that older accused individuals have been held in prison in the last 16 months with adequate medical care.
He stressed that it is not a corruption or embezzlement case but an attempted murder case linked to the July Uprising, seeking rejection of the bail application in the interest of the investigation.
After hearing both sides, the court granted the accused bail on a bond of Tk50,000 until the submission of the police report.
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was arrested in Dhanmondi of the capital in the early hours of 7 April in the case filed at Lalbagh Police Station over the attempted murder of Ashraful.
She was detained between 04:30am and 04:50am at her relative's residence on Dhanmondi 8/A and was taken to the Detective Branch (DB) office in Minto Road, DB Joint Commissioner Nasirul Islam told The Business Standard.
The case allegations note that the quota reform movement gained momentum on 18 July 2024. To suppress this student movement, the then Awami League government, along with the named and unnamed accused, allegedly opened fire on unarmed students with domestic and foreign firearms in Azimpur Government Colony under Lalbagh Police Station.
Ashraful, the plaintiff, was shot in his left eye (retina), head and other parts of the body during the protest, losing vision in his left eye, according to the case documents.
He was treated initially at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, later operated on at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and referred to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.
Several others were also reportedly injured or killed in the incident.
Sources concerned said six cases have been found against her so far.
On 25 May last year, Ashraful filed a case against 130 people including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Shirin Sharmin resigned from the post of Speaker on 2 September 2024, 27 days after the fall of the Awami League government. She had served as speaker since 30 April 2013.
