A Chattogram court has issued arrest warrants for 19 fugitives accused in the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
Judge SM Alauddin Mahmud of Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Court-6 passed the order on Monday.
Alif’s lawyer, Advocate Ziaur Rahman, confirmed the development to Times of Bangladesh. He noted that no defense lawyers were present during the hearing. “The hearing began around 11:30 am, and the victim’s father, Jamal Uddin, was present in court,” he added.
According to Advocate Ziaur Rahman, the case initially listed 31 accused in the FIR, and 10 more were identified during the investigation, bringing the total to 41.
As names and addresses could not be verified, the investigating officer of the case recommended dropping charges against three individuals — two named in the FIR and one identified during the investigation.
However, a petition has been submitted to include Sukanta Das as an accused based on evidence, including photographs from the crime scene and his involvement in eight other cases, including drug and arms charges. The court accepted the request, bringing the total number of accused to 39 on the charge sheet.
Earlier, on June 1, Assistant Commissioner Mahfuzur Rahman of the CMP’s Kotwali Zone submitted the charge sheet. Among the accused is Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of the Sanatani Jagaran Jote. A total of 20 accused, including Chinmoy, are now in custody, while 19 remain on the run. Lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was beaten and hacked to death on November 26, 2024, during a violent clash in front of the Chattogram court premises. The incident erupted over a bail hearing for Chinmoy Krishna Das, triggering widespread outrage.