A Narayanganj court has granted a five-day remand for former Detective Branch (DB) sub-inspector in connection with the murder of Juba Dal activist Shaon Ahmed.
The remand order was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdullah Al Masum on Monday morning following a police request for a seven-day remand. Court Police inspector Kaiyum Khan confirmed the decision.
The accused, Mahfuzur Rahman Kanak was arrested on Thursday night at 11:30 PM from his current posting at the Dhaka Airport 13 APBn unit. He is the 16th named accused in the case filed over Shaon's death.
According to Advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan, the incident dates back to September 1, 2022, during a rally commemorating BNP's foundation anniversary. Police allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on the rally, injuring over 300 BNP leaders, activists, pedestrians, and office-goers. Shaon Ahmed was killed in the police shooting.
While police initially filed cases against 5,000 BNP activists following the incident, a case was later filed by Shaon's elder brother, Md. Milon, in October 2024. The case named 52 individuals, including the then-District Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP) and five former Members of Parliament (MPs).
The advocate stated that video footage showing Kanak firing at Shaon with a chinese rifle which was submitted as evidence in court. "The Chinese rifle, typically used in border combat zones, was employed in the firing. The remand will help uncover who instructed the use of such weapons against BNP activists," he added.
However, the case statement reads that the incident originated during a clash between BNP activists and law enforcement at a rally in Narayanganj. It escalated when ruling Awami League members reportedly joined police in attacking the opposition rally. Shaon was struck by a bullet fired from Kanak's Chinese rifle. He was rushed to Narayanganj General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
