Dhaka Court Orders Anisul Huq, Zunaid Palak Shown Arrested in Jatrabari Case
DHAKA, Oct. 18 — A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered former law minister Anisul Huq and former state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak to be shown arrested in an attempted murder case filed with Jatrabari Police Station over injuries sustained by a driver during the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order following a hearing, said state counsel Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon, according to Prothom Alo.
The case concerns Mamun, 25, a driver who reportedly lost sight in his left eye during the student-led protests.
Sub-Inspector Awlad Hossain, the case’s investigating officer, applied on Sept. 30 to show the two former ministers arrested in the case. The application said investigators had found preliminary evidence linking them to the incident and that including them was necessary for a fair, impartial investigation.
According to the application, Huq and Palak were already in custody in separate cases. It also alleged that they had played active roles in supporting the then Awami League government’s response to the 2024 movement.
Palak’s lawyer, Farzana Yasmin, opposed the application, arguing that her client’s name did not appear in the first information report (FIR). She also questioned the timing of the case, saying it had been filed seven months after the incident, and argued that it did not specify any particular offense committed by Palak.
State counsel Sumon alleged during the hearing that Huq was among the close associates of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He also accused Palak of playing a key role in the crackdown on student protesters and alleged that the internet shutdown during the movement amounted to support for the killing.
Huq’s lawyer also opposed the application. The court granted the request after hearing arguments from both sides.
During the hearing, Palak stood in the dock with his left hand covering his mouth and handcuffs on his other hand. Huq was seen talking with Nasir Uddin, chairman of private television channel MyTV and a defendant in another case.
In a separate matter, the same court also granted a police application to show Nasir Uddin arrested in the murder case of Pappu Chowdhury, which was filed in connection with the 2024 student movement.
The defendants were later escorted by police from the courtroom to the holding cells.
