Ex-Speaker Shirin being quizzed, to face court at noon

Former Speaker of the National Parliament, Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, is currently being questioned at the Detective Branch (DB) office and is expected to be produced in court on Tuesday at noon. It has not yet been decided whether her remand will be sought, confirmed DB Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam.

Earlier in the day, the DB of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested her at around 4:30 am from her house at 8/A Dhanmondi Road in Dhaka, in connection with a case related to violence during the July mass uprising.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media), N M Nasiruddin, told reporters that Shirin Sharmin faces cases filed at Uttara, Banani, and Rangpur police stations over incidents of violence during the mass uprising. He added that further details would be provided after her questioning.

Following the mass uprising, which led to the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, almost all top party leaders went into hiding. Some former ministers and MPs were arrested, and Shirin Sharmin resigned in September of the same year.

After the 2008 election, when the Awami League came to power, Abdul Hamid was elected Speaker. Following his election as President, Shirin Sharmin was elected Speaker on April 30, 2013, and continued to serve in the role consecutively. She also served as a Member of Parliament from the Rangpur-6 constituency.

A lawyer by profession, Shirin Sharmin was born on October 6, 1966, in Dhaka. Her father, former secretary Rafiq Ullah Chowdhury, served as private secretary to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, while her mother, Professor Naiyar Sultana, was a member of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC).