A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent former Speaker of Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to jail following her arrest in connection with the July Uprising attempted murder case.
The Detective Branch (DB) of police had sought her remand for two days for interrogation, while her lawyers filed a bail petition. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana rejected both requests and sent her to jail.
During a scuffle while being led to the lockup, the 60-year-old former Speaker fell on the stairs of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates' Court amid a heavy crowd. Several female police officers also tumbled in the chaos. Witnesses said Shirin screamed in pain before being pulled up by officers and taken into custody.
Shirin was arrested around 4:30am from a residence on Road 8/A in Dhanmondi and later produced in court under tight security. The prosecution said the remand was sought to locate absconding suspects and gather evidence.
The case relates to a July 18, 2024 incident in Azimpur, Lalbagh, where police and alleged ruling party activists reportedly opened fire on a peaceful student procession, leaving protester Ashraful Fahim seriously injured. The complaint alleges that the attack was carried out under instructions from the then Prime Minister, with involvement of senior Awami League leaders, and Shirin has been named as the third accused.
During the hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi described her as a "beneficiary of the fascist government" and a key accomplice. Her lawyers countered that, as Speaker, she held a neutral constitutional post and had no involvement in the violence. They also highlighted that she was the only official to formally submit a resignation following the fall of the Awami League government on September 2, 2024.
As police escorted her from the courtroom around 3:40pm, pro-Awami League lawyers shouted "Joy Bangla" slogans, prompting a standoff with pro-BNP lawyers.
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury made history in 2013 as Bangladesh's first female Speaker and held the position for three consecutive terms until her resignation. Following the mass uprising on August 5, 2024, which led to the fall of the Awami League government, many leaders, including Shirin and her family, took refuge in Dhaka Cantonment. More than 600 people, including political leaders, judges, bureaucrats, university teachers, and police officers, were sheltered at the time, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement released on August 18, 2024. A year later, the list of those who took refuge confirmed her presence in the cantonment.
