A Dhaka court has rejected a two-day remand plea for former Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and ordered her to be sent to jail. The order was passed on Tuesday (7 April) by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Juel Rana following a hearing at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Detectives arrested the former speaker early this morning from a residence in Dhanmondi. She was subsequently taken to the Detective Branch (DB) office for preliminary interrogation before being produced in court.
The Case Details
The proceedings are linked to a case involving the alleged attempted murder of Ashraful (also known as Fahim) in the capital’s Lalbagh area during the “July Uprising” in 2024. According to the case documents:
- Incident Date: 18 July 2024, during the height of the student-led quota reform movement.
- Allegations: Security forces and activists under the then-Awami League government allegedly opened fire on unarmed protesters near Azimpur Government Colony.
- Injuries: The plaintiff, Ashraful, sustained gunshot wounds to his head and his left eye, resulting in a permanent loss of vision.
- The Lawsuit: The case was filed in May 2024 against 130 individuals, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Court Proceedings
Under heavy security, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was brought to the court premises at approximately 1:55 pm and presented in the courtroom at 3:10 pm.
The Detective Branch applied for a two-day remand, arguing that the accused had been evasive during preliminary questioning. The DB asserted that custodial interrogation was necessary to identify other absconding suspects and to uncover further details regarding the crackdown on protesters.
However, the magistrate rejected the remand application and directed that she be sent into judicial custody.
Background
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury served as the Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament from 30 April 2013 until her resignation on 2 September 2024. Her departure came 27 days after the fall of the Awami League administration on 5 August.
