Court sends Momtaz to jail rejecting bail plea
A Dhaka court has sent former MP and renowned singer Momtaz Begum to jail following a four-day remand, linked to the shooting death of Md Sagar during last year’s anti-discrimination student movement.
The ruling came on Saturday from Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Minhazur Rahman after Sub-Inspector Monirul Islam of Mirpur Model Police Station, the investigating officer, presented Momtaz in court and sought her imprisonment.
Despite a bail plea from her lawyer, the court rejected the request, finalising her custody.
Momtaz was arrested at 12:45 AM on May 12 from Dhanmondi, following a four-day remand granted by the court on May 11. The case stems from a tragic incident on July 19, 2024, when Md. Sagar, a participant in the anti-discrimination protests at Mirpur No. 10 roundabout, was fatally shot.
According to case details, Momtaz allegedly attacked and fired at protesters around 4:30 PM, striking Sagar in the chest with the bullet exiting through his back. He succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Mirpur.
The murder case was lodged on November 27, 2024, by Sagar’s mother, Mosa. Beauty Akhter, at Mirpur Model Police Station, naming 243 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as accused, alongside 250-400 unidentified persons.
Momtaz Begum is listed as the 49th accused. A prominent figure, she entered parliament in 2008 on a reserved women’s seat nominated by the Awami League and later won the Manikganj-2 constituency in the contentious 2014 and 2018 elections under the party’s boat symbol.
However, she lost to an independent candidate in the 2024 National Assembly elections in her home constituency.
The court’s decision marks a significant turn in the high-profile case, drawing attention to the ongoing legal repercussions of the student movement under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s interim government. As the investigation continues, Momtaz’s detention underscores the gravity of the charges against her.