Nearly nine months after courier service worker Imtiaz Hossain Riaz died from gunshot wounds in Noakhali’s Chatkhil upazila, his father has filed a petition in court to initiate a murder case, naming 57 individuals, including a former Awami League (AL) lawmaker and local political figures.
The delayed legal move has sparked widespread scrutiny and raised questions over possible political motivations and procedural irregularities.
According to court documents, Riaz was shot on the afternoon of 5 August 2024, and succumbed to his injuries the following day at a local hospital.
However, no case was filed at the time. His burial reportedly took place without a post-mortem or inquest report, an omission that drew little attention until now.
The petition, filed by Riaz’s father Habibur Rahman at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, names former Member of Parliament HM Ibrahim, former mayors Mohammad Ullah and VP Nizam Uddin, Awami League leaders Nazmul Huda Shakil, Belayet Hossain, Shahjahan Babul, Bazlur Rahman Liton, Rajib Hossain Raju, and Ali Taher Ivu, among others.
The court has instructed police to investigate.
Advocate Safayet Ullah Kabir, representing the plaintiff, confirmed that the petition has been accepted for review by the Cognizance Court-7 division.
Locals and activists of the Students Against Discrimination platform have raised concerns over the timing and motive behind the case. Many remember Riaz’s death as the result of celebratory gunfire involving a looted shotgun from a local police station.
The shooting took plsce during a rally, injuring Riaz. At the time, his death was not treated as suspicious, and his family did not pursue legal recourse.
Speculation intensified in March this year after Riaz was posthumously recognised as a “martyr” of last year’s July Revolution and his family was reportedly awarded Tk 10 lakh in savings certificates.
Following this recognition, local media reports and criticism from student groups prompted local authorities to revisit the circumstances of his death.
Activists have challenged Riaz’s inclusion on the official martyr list. “How can someone involved in a self-inflicted incident be declared a martyr?” asked Saiful Islam, a local student representative. “The district administration owes the public an explanation for issuing such benefits without thorough vetting.”
Islam alleged that while many of the injured from the July movement are still struggling without treatment, Riaz’s family has already received Tk 8 lakh from the July Smriti Foundation. “We demand an investigation into how this unfolded,” he said.
In contrast, Riaz’s father, Habibur Rahman, has insisted that his son was deliberately targeted and killed as part of a premeditated political conspiracy. “His name was listed in the official gazette recognising the martyrs of the uprising,” he alleged.
Locals remain divided.“
We heard he died from blood loss after being shot by a looted weapon,” said Arman Hossain, a neighbour. “Now the family is saying he was killed by people linked to the former MP. It’s hard to know what to believe.”
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Istiaq Ahmed told journalists that an inquiry is underway following public objections over Riaz’s martyr status. “We’ve suspended all benefits to his family until the investigation concludes,” he said, adding that others named in the martyr list have already received financial assistance.
Chatkhil Police Station Officer-in-Charge Feroz Ahmed Chowdhury confirmed that they are yet to receive formal instructions from the court regarding the case. “We will take necessary action once directed by the court,” he said.
However, sources say that the police are proceeding with caution given the context of allegedly politically motivated false cases filed under the banner of the July movement, signalling that they do not intend to accept any First Information Report without proper directives from the court.