A year later, revisiting the spiral of events that led to constable Monirul's murder

Police constable Monirul Haque was shot dead by a colleague near the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka on Jun 8, 2024. A year on, an indictment hearing is set to be conducted by Judge Utpal Chowdhury of the Dhaka Public Safety Tribunal on Jun 17.

It comes six months after the case investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Raju Ahmed of the Gulshan Police Station, submitted the chargesheet on Dec 10 last year.

After constable Monirul was fatally shot while on duty in the Gulshan-Baridhara diplomatic area, his brother Mahabubul Haque, also a constable, filed a case with the Gulshan Police Station over the incident.

Later, the police arrested and remanded Monirul's colleague constable Kausar Ahmed for questioning.

According to police, Monirul had an “altercation” with Kausar over “duty assignments” on the day of the incident. At one point, Kausar opened fire with a submachine gun, discharging 38 rounds from two magazines. Monirul was killed on the spot.

Signifying the indiscriminate shooting were multiple bullet wounds to the left side of his head, his left eye, left arm, right elbow, and various parts of his body from the neck down to the waist. His chest, abdomen, and back also bore gunshot wounds, according to the police report.

The chargesheet noted that Monirul and Kausar were assigned to the Diplomatic Security Department. They were on duty from 10pm to 6am on Jun 8 last year. Constables Shakil Molla and Zahidul, who were on duty during the previous shift, handed over their rifles to Monirul and Kausar.

Monirul and Kausar then had an row over duty-related issues around 11:45pm. At one point, Kausar lost his cool and opened fire on Monirul with the weapon he was carrying. To ensure his death, he fired indiscriminately, hitting Monirul in the head, eyes, both arms, chest, back, and abdomen, according to the chargesheet.

Kausar also shot Sajjad Hossain Shahrukh, a driver for the Japanese embassy, as he was cycling past the scene. The bullets struck Sajjad in the left hand and stomach. He then fled the scene on foot and was later taken to the hospital.

The sound of intermittent gunshots spread panic in the diplomatic area. When informed, Gulshan Police Station personnel went to the scene and arrested Kausar.

A case was filed with the Gulshan Police Station the next day. Police later got hold of video footage depicting the events as they unfolded. Monirul was seen collapsing from the footpath onto the road after the first bullet hit him. He tried to get back up, but Kausar ran up to him and fired a few more rounds indiscriminately. After that, Monirul’s body grew still.

Prosecutor Anwarul Islam said, "The case has reached the charge-framing stage. The accused is in jail. Once the accused is indicted, we will bring in witnesses and try to resolve the case as soon as possible.”

Monirul's brother Mahabubul Haque said, "Monirul was the youngest and most adored among three brothers and three sisters. It has been a year since our brother was murdered. We want the maximum punishment for the killer."

“We’ve lost our brother and words can’t describe how difficult this time has been. I wish I could open my heart and show you how it feels. He [Monirul] left behind a 3-year-old son. That boy no longer has a father to call out to.”

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Shamsul Alam claimed Kausar had been suffering from “mental illness”.

“He went through several rounds of treatment. The case has now reached the charge-framing stage. Once the charges are framed, the trial will open. We’ll fight in court to prove his innocence through witness testimonies and supporting evidence.”