A Dhaka court has deferred the indictment hearing until 13 August in a case over the killing of truck driver Md Hossain during the July uprising in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur.
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and 32 others are accused in the case.
Dhaka Special Judge Court‑4 Judge Rabiul Alam passed the order on Sunday.
Former state minister Palak was brought to the court premises in a prison van around 9:30am, kept in the lock‑up, and produced in the courtroom after 11am.
Court sources said the charge‑framing hearing was scheduled for Sunday (26 July).
Palak’s lawyer Farzana Yasmin Rakhi told reporters that among the 34 accused, eight are on bail, five are in custody, and the rest are absconding. Since one of the five accused in custody was not produced, the hearing was deferred to 13 August.
Doctors advised that no heavy object should be placed on his head or neck. For this reason, we requested the court not to make him wear a helmet.
However, the judge said helmets are required for the accused’s security, and if any health instructions come from the prison authorities, they will be considered.
Hasina, Palak, and 32 others are named in the charge sheet. Among them, five including Palak are in jail, eight are on bail, and four were produced in court on Sunday.
Truck driver Hossain was shot dead, while two others — Sajjad and Shahin — were injured in Mohammadpur on 19 July 2024.
Earlier, on 31 August 2024, the case was filed against Hasina and 15 others over Hossain’s death. After investigation, on 23 November last year, SI Md Akramuzzaman of Mohammadpur police submitted the charge sheet against 34 accused.
Other accused include Awami League’s general secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former MP Sadeq Khan, and banned Chhatra League leaders Saddam Hossain and Sheikh Wali Asif Inan.
