A Dhaka court on Saturday ordered the imprisonment of former additional inspector general of police (AIGP) Md Iqbal Bahar in connection with the murder of Shahinur Begum during the anti-discrimination student protests in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area last year.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Juel Rana passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by Bahar’s lawyers, which the court rejected. The prosecution opposed the bail request.
Bahar, retired from service in 2019, previously served as commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police and later as Additional IGP at Rajarbagh’s T&IM, was arrested on Friday evening from a house in the Bailey Road area.
He is named as the 26th accused in the murder case filed by the victim’s daughter, Habeja Akter.
According to case documents, Shahinur Begum had been providing water to students peacefully demonstrating under the footbridge in the Kazla area of Jatrabari on 22 July 2023, as part of a larger anti-discrimination movement.
The complaint alleges that, following orders from named and unnamed accused, security forces launched an attack using firearms, rubber bullets, tear gas, and sound grenades.
Shahinur was seriously injured during the incident and died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital after more than a month in critical condition.
The case names 297 individuals, including political leaders, and another 250 to 300 unnamed accused.
In the court, Bahar’s legal team argued that he had no direct connection to the events in question, citing his retired status and poor health. They pointed out that others accused in similar cases —former minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury and actress Nusrat Faria — were granted bail.
However, the court denied bail and ordered Bahar be sent to jail.