A Dhaka court has placed former DGFI officer Md Afzal Naser on a further three-day remand in a case filed over the murder of BNP activist Mokbul Hossain during a raid on the party’s Naya Paltan office in 2022.
The order was issued on Tuesday afternoon by the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamshed Alam after a hearing.
The accused was produced in court after completing a fourth phase of remand totalling 15 days. The investigating officer then applied for a further five-day remand, stating that evidence from various sources indicated the accused’s involvement in the case.
According to the remand application, the accused, on his own initiative, had assisted the previous government in various ways to suppress opposition parties politically, and played a significant role behind the scenes in the commission of this case.
The case, described as a political murder case, is still under investigation. The investigating officer argued that a further remand was necessary for intense interrogation.
Defence lawyers opposed the remand application and sought bail. After hearing both sides, the court granted a three-day remand instead of the requested five days.
Naser was arrested on 30 March from his residence in Mirpur DOHS by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The case stems from an incident on 7 December 2022, when DB Police conducted a raid on BNP’s Naya Paltan office, vandalising the premises and attacking thousands of party leaders and activists present nearby. BNP activist Mokbul Hossain was shot and killed during the attack.
The case was filed on 30 September by complainant Mahfuzur Rahman, naming former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 256 others as accused.
