A Dhaka court has deferred the deadline to 14 December for submitting further investigation report in the murder case of Md Sifat Hossain, 26, who was killed in Mirpur-10 area during July uprising. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 25 others are accused in the case.
Earlier, 10 November was scheduled for the submission of further investigation report, but the investigating agency, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), failed to submit it.
Consequently, the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam fixed new date for filing the report. The information was confirmed by Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam of the Prosecution Department.
According to the case documents, thousands of students and public were demonstrating for quota reform in front of MS Power at Senpara in Mirpur-10 on 20 July during July uprising.
Police fired indiscriminately at the protesters, and Sifat was shot dead while crossing the road to reach a safe location. A bullet entered one side of his head and exited through the other.
Following the incident, Sifat’s father, Kamal Howlader, filed the murder case on 15 August 2024 against 22 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina.
On the same day, the court recorded the complainant’s statement and directed Mirpur Model Police Station to register the complaint as a First Information Report (FIR).
Besides Sheikh Hasina, the key accused named in the case include former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former lawmakers Kamal Ahmed Majumdar, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, and Salauddin Mahmud (SM) Zahid, former inspector general of police (IGP) Abdullah Al Mamun, former Detective Branch (DB) chief Harun Or Rashid, Additional Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, as well as Ziaul Haq Zia and Mehedi Hasan, among others.
On 28 May, Mirpur Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman submitted a charge sheet in court against 26 people, including Sheikh Hasina, following the police investigation.
However, Sifat’s father expressed dissatisfaction after the charge sheet exempted Ziaul Haq Zia and Mehedi Hasan from the case.
On 1 September, Kamal filed a no-confidence (naraji) petition against the police report.
The petition alleged that the investigating officer had submitted the charge sheet in favour of the accused without properly considering the subject matter of the case or visiting the scene of the crime.
Following a hearing on 5 October, the court accepted the petition and instructed the PBI to conduct a further investigation into the case.
