A Dhaka court has shown former chief whip and former Patuakhali-2 lawmaker ASM Firoz arrested in a case filed over the killing of student Naim Hawladar, 17, and the attempted murder of another student, Tarek Chowdhury, during the anti-discrimination student movement in the capital’s Jatrabari.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order on Wednesday following a petition filed by the investigation officer of the case.
According to the petition, Detective Branch (DB) Demra Zone Sub-Inspector Nazim Uddin Fakir said that on 19 July 2024, armed men attacked students and members of the public participating in the anti-discrimination movement in front of North Kutubkhali High School in Jatrabari.
During the attack, Naim was shot in the front part of his left shoulder. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared him dead on the same day.
The investigation officer also said Tarek Chowdhury, another student, was shot on the rooftop of a house in the Jatrabari area. The attempted murder case filed over the incident also names ASM Firoz for his alleged involvement.
In the petition, the investigation officer said ASM Firoz is currently in jail after being arrested in another murder case filed with Jatrabari Police Station.
He said showing him arrested in the Naim murder case was necessary for uncovering the details of the incident, arresting other accused and ensuring a proper investigation.
After hearing the petition, the court ordered that ASM Firoz be shown arrested in the case and kept in custody.
Police arrested ASM Firoz from the capital’s Banani area on 23 August 2024. He has remained in jail since then.
