Former prime minister Hasina, 161 others named in journalist killing case

The father of a journalist who died during the anti-discrimination movement has accused deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 161 others in a murder case.

Md Abul Bashar, the father of journalist Md Abdun Noor, started the case on Tuesday in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate M Misbah Ur Rahman.

The court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and ordered Jatrabari police to investigate whether a similar case had been registered elsewhere.

It asked them to submit a report within the next 15 workdays.

Among the accused are former ministers Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan, Anisul Huq and Hasan Mahmud, Hasina’s advisor Salman F Rahman, former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former Detective Branch chief Harunor Rashid, and former additional joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar.

According to Bashar, Noor was a journalist for a publication named Abhijan News based in Mymensingh’s Gafargaon. He had travelled to Dhaka on Aug 1, 2024, to cover the protests.

The case alleges that he was present at Jatrabari during the protests around 12pm on Aug 5 when police and Awami League activists reportedly opened fire on demonstrators. A stray bullet reportedly struck Noor in the head.

He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead, it said.