The Daily Star Special to The Tribune: Fresh murder case filed against ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, August 26

A murder case has been filed against 85 individuals, including former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, following the death of a man named Manju Mia, 43, during the mass protest in Borobari area of Gazipur city on July 20.

Additionally, 500-700 unidentified people have also been named as accused, said Gazipur’s Gacha Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Ziaul Islam. The case was filed by Insar Ali, father of the deceased, at the police station last night, the OC said today. Manju Mia, a mason by profession, resided with his wife and father in a rented house on Joybangla road in the Borobari area.

According to the case statement, the accused are charged with causing serious injury by beating with deadly weapons, shooting, and ordering the violent acts that led to Manju Mia’s death.

Among the other accused include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former member of parliament Tipu Munshi, former minister Mashiur Rahman (Ranga), Gazipur Metropolitan Awami League President Azmat Ullah Khan, former state minister Zahid Ahsan, former acting mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Asadur Rahman, and central leaders of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, including president Saddam and general secretary Inan.

According to the case statement, on July 20, Manju joined the anti-discrimination student movement on the road in front of Borobari Bazar, near the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. At around noon, the some of the accused attacked the protesters with various weapons, including guns, pistols, sticks, iron rods, ramadas, and chapatis, injuring 25 to 30 people, including Manju Mia. The attackers then began firing, and Manju was shot at around 1:15pm.

His wife, Rahima Begum, with the help of students present at the scene, took him to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, where doctors advised transferring him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after providing first aid. Manju succumbed to his injuries at 4:30pm while being taken to DMCH.

‘Normal seasonal development’: MEA on water release

India on Monday said the release of water from the Farakka Barrage across the Ganga was ‘normal seasonal development’. Downstream the barrage water goes to Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reacted to media reports, which claimed that the opening of Farakka barrage gates would allow the flow of over 11 lakh cusecs of water downstream of the river in its natural course into the Ganga/Padma river. “This is a normal seasonal development that takes place due to increased inflow from heavy rainfall in the Ganga river basin catchment areas upstream,” the MEA said. — TNS

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