July Uprising: Anisul Huq, Palak shown arrested in attempted murder case over bus driver’s eye injury

A Dhaka court on Sunday showed former law minister Anisul Huq and former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak arrested in an attempted murder case over the shooting that permanently damaged the left eye of a bus driver named Mamun during the 2024 July Uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order after a hearing.

Advocate Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon, a lawyer for the prosecution, confirmed the development after the hearing.

According to the case statement, the incident took place on July 18, 2024, when the student-led movement was at its peak across the country.

Mamun, then 25, joined the demonstrations in the capital’s Jatrabari area with his friends Hossain, Khokon and Arif.

At around 3pm, a large procession of protesters was gathered on the flyover in front of Jatrabari Police Station when gunfire was opened from above to disperse the demonstrators, according to the complaint.

Mamun sustained gunshot injuries to his head, body and eye. His fellow protesters took him to Islamia Hospital in Kajla. Given the severity of his injuries, he was subsequently transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

After three days, as the condition of his left eye deteriorated, he was taken to the National Institute of Ophthalmology. Despite doctors’ efforts, the gunshot injury left him permanently blind in his left eye.

On September 30, the case’s investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Awlad Hossain of Jatrabari Police Station, filed an application seeking to have Anisul Huq and Palak shown arrested in the case. The prosecution argued in favour of the application during the hearing.

The application alleged that the accused had played an active role in suppressing the uprising by directly instigating and issuing instructions in support of the then government. It also stated that the investigation had uncovered preliminary and direct evidence of their involvement in the attack on Mamun.

The application said showing them arrested in the case was necessary to ensure a fair and impartial trial.

Lawyers for the defence opposed the application during the hearing. However, the court granted the application after considering the prosecution’s arguments and the circumstances of the incident, according to the prosecution lawyer.

Police arrested Anisul Huq from the Sadarghat area on August 13, 2024, and Palak from the Nikunja residential area in Khilkhet on August 15. Both were reportedly in hiding when they were arrested.