The court has approved a 10-day remand for former Law Minister Anisul Huq and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s advisor, Salman F Rahman, in connection with a murder case related to the death of a street vendor during the quota reform movement.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka granted the remand on Wednesday evening after a hearing requested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB).
Both Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman were presented in court under heavy security at approximately 6:30 PM. During their court appearance, pro-BNP lawyers staged a protest at the CMM Court premises, demanding justice. To maintain order, army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed around the court.
The charges stem from a violent clash on July 16 near Dhaka College during a student protest against quota reforms, which led to the deaths of Dhaka College student Sabuj Ali (26) and street vendor Md. Shahjahan (26). Following the incident, two murder cases were filed at the New Market Police Station. Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman were arrested as instigators in the Shahjahan murder case. Their arrests were made public by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday, amid reports that several members of Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet and Awami League leaders had gone into hiding or fled the country after her resignation on August 5.
Anisul Huq is a prominent lawyer who served as a prosecutor in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case. He was elected to parliament in 2014 from the Brahmanbaria-4 (Akhaura and Kasba) constituency under the Awami League banner and was subsequently appointed Law Minister by Sheikh Hasina, serving in that capacity until recently.
After former Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader faced controversy during the quota reform movement, Anisul Huq, along with former State Minister for Information Mohammad Arafat, took on more prominent roles.
On July 20, two key coordinators of the quota reform movement, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, along with co-coordinator Hasib Al Islam, met with former Law Minister Anisul Huq, former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, and former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat at the Padma State Guest House in Dhaka to present their demands.
