Court denies remand, bail for Shirin Sharmin, sends to jail

A Dhaka court on Tuesday rejected both the remand and bail petitions of former Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and ordered her to be sent to jail in a case filed with Lalbagh Police Station over allegations of attempted murder and vandalism during the July uprising.

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman passed the order following a hearing on April 7.

Earlier, Inspector Mohsin Uddin of the Detective Branch (DB) sought a two-day remand, arguing that custodial interrogation was necessary to trace absconding suspects and gather evidence.

During the hearing, defence counsel Moksedul Hasan Mandal argued that the case lacked evidence against his client. He said a Jatiya Sangsad Speaker, bound by official protocol, could not be directly involved in such actions, and noted that no prior allegations exist against her.

“Her name has only been mentioned in the case, there is no supporting evidence,” he told the court, adding that the defence could seek bail but emphasising her position and record.

At one stage, multiple lawyers spoke simultaneously, prompting brief disorder in the courtroom.

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruque opposed the bail, alleging links between the incident and the previous government.

After hearing both sides, the court rejected the remand and bail petitions, ordering that Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury be sent to jail.

She was arrested around 4:30am from a residence on Road 8/A in Dhanmondi and later produced before the court after being shown arrested in the case. Around 1:55pm, she was taken to the court lock-up under tight security, with additional police deployed on the premises. Prior to that, she had been held at the DB office.

According to the remand application, the case stems from an incident on July 18, 2024, when students and members of the public were holding a procession in the Azimpur Government Colony area as part of a quota reform movement. Investigators alleged that police and unidentified individuals opened fire on the demonstrators, leaving protester Ashraful Fahim injured.

The case, filed on July 17, 2025, names several individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, Biplob Barua, Obaidul Quader and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, alleging the attack was carried out under their direction. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury is listed as the third accused.