Former Managing Director (MD) of Desh Television, Arif Hasan, has been shown arrested in a murder case filed over the death of a private car driver during the July uprising.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Ripon Hossain passed the order after the investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Md. Abu Sayeed of Airport Police Station, submitted an application seeking his arrest in the case.
According to court sources, Arif Hasan is already under arrest in several other criminal cases.
In the application, the investigating officer alleged that Arif Hasan acted as a "key financier" behind the attack that led to the killing and that his associates were present at the scene and actively participated in the violence.
State prosecutor Harun Or Rashid argued in favour of the arrest application, while defence counsel Tahmina Sultana opposed it. She told the court that her client is an established businessman with no involvement in politics, suffers from a heart condition and has undergone a heart stent procedure. She also argued that although nine cases have been filed against him, it was implausible for him to have participated in attacks at multiple locations on the same day.
According to the case statement, during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in July-August 2024, attacks were carried out on protesters in different parts of the capital. On July 18, 2024, private car driver Babul sustained critical gunshot injuries in Uttara after alleged attackers opened fire. He later died while undergoing treatment at Uttara Women's Medical College Hospital.
Following the incident, Babul's wife filed a murder case with Airport Police Station on July 22, 2024.
AL/TF
