A court in Dhaka on Tuesday granted a three-day remand for Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, a junior friend of former Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri, in connection with his murder case registered at Uttarkhan Police Station.
Before the hearing commenced, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat expressed anger over the presence of journalists in the courtroom and ordered them to leave.
Addressing journalists from various national media outlets gathered to cover the proceedings on Tuesday the magistrate questioned their presence, mentioning: “Why are journalists in court? Can you enter inside? After the hearing, the PP and APPs will inform you in detail. You get out. You cannot stay.”
The magistrate then instructed the police to clear the room, saying, “Clear everything, no one will remain inside.” Following the directive, journalists moved to stand on one side at the back of the courtroom before the hearing began.
Commenting on the incident, Shahjahan Saju, former general secretary of Bangladesh Judicial Service Association and former District Judge, mentioned that asking journalists to leave an open trial was inappropriate.
“Since this is not a camera trial, it is an open trial. Therefore, not only journalists, but members of the public can also be present,” Saju said.
“Journalists serve as the mirror of the nation and render crucial assistance in the delivery of justice. By attending open trials, they can inform the public about the proceedings. Therefore, telling journalists to leave the courtroom was not right,” he added.
“A pre-planned killing”
During the hearing, the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, Firoz Uddin, petitioned for a seven-day remand for Dwip for a second time.
In his remand application, the IO said the accused had disclosed several important pieces of information during questioning under his initial remand, which were currently being verified.
Describing Dwip as extremely shrewd in nature, the IO added that the suspect had tactfully avoided answering multiple questions and maintained silence, necessitating further intensive interrogation.
State counsel Shamsuddoha Suman argued in favour of the remand, mentioning that the accused claimed he and Tahsif were chased, after which Tahsif jumped into the river while Dwip fled.
The prosecutor pointed out that Dwip failed to inform anyone about the incident that night, noting that no one could remain unperturbed if a friend went missing.
Describing Dwip’s statements as completely unclear and erratic, the prosecutor submitted that a seven-day remand was essential to ascertain whether an Indian intelligence agency was involved behind him, adding that the prosecution believed the killing was a pre-planned murder.
Defence counsel opposed the remand application. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted a three-day remand for Deep.
Dwip had previously been placed on a four-day remand on Saturday following his arrest. A young woman arrested in the same case is also currently serving a four-day remand, which was granted on Sunday.
The deceased, Tahsif, was a former officer of the Bangladesh Air Force who resided in a flat in Sector 18 under Turag Police Station. On the evening of 27 October, Tahsif went missing after leaving home upon receiving a call from his junior friend Dwip.
The following afternoon, 28 October, River Police recovered his body from Rajabari Ghat area of Turag River.
Following the incident, Tahsif’s father, KM Enayetul Karim, filed a murder case against unidentified individuals at Uttarkhan Police Station at 1:05am on Friday. Police subsequently arrested Dwip as a suspect in the case.
Subsequent investigations using information technology and intelligence inputs revealed that Dwip had accompanied Tahsif to Mazar Basti area under Tongi West Police Station on the day of the incident.
During initial questioning, Dwip admitted that the deceased Tahsif was his senior brother, after which the court had initially granted him a four-day remand.
