A judicial magistrate court in Dhaka on Monday directed the investigation officer to explain within a week why the High Court鈥檚 bail for four of the seven accused, now released on bail, in a case linked to the July-August mass uprising should not be canceled.
The accused are alleged to have threatened and intimidated schoolteacher Nadia Afroz Sheuli, the mother of mass uprising victim Robiussani Shipu, a student of the American International University-Bangladesh, after being released on bail.
Shipu was attacked for the second time on October 14, 2024, allegedly by 14 Awami League leaders including the seven now released on bail, after he had filed a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 29 of her party colleagues 鈥� including the 14 AL leaders 鈥� and several police officers for their alleged involvement in shooting him during the mass uprising in Ashulia on August 4, 2024.
The court of senior judicial magistrate Tajul Islam Sohag issued the directive to the investigation officer and Ashulia police sub-inspector Idris Ali and the four accused, responding to Sheuli鈥檚 petition seeking the cancellation of their bail.
The seven accused include Dhamsona Union Awami League leaders Mehedi Hasan Hiru, Md Abu Taher, Md Zahirul Islam, Md Habibur Rahman, Md Abdul Alim, Md Shanto and Md Rahim.
However, the magistrate refused to issue a show-cause notice against three of them 鈥� Mehedi, Shanto, and Rahim 鈥� after court records showed that they were still in jail.
Sheuli鈥檚 lawyer, Shahin Mandal, alleged that these three were actually released on January 27, 2025, after securing bail from the High Court on January 21.
Shahin claimed that court police deliberately withheld the bail bond from records to prevent Sheuli from filing a petition for their bail cancellation.
On Sunday, Sheuli sought protection from the International Crimes Tribunal, alleging continued threats and intimidation after filing a genocide case against Hasina and 43 of her associates, including the seven accused.
Sheuli claimed that since filing the case, she has been regularly harassed by local Awami League leaders. 鈥楾hese men, recently released on bail, keep monitoring my residence in Modhupur, Ashulia, and intimidating me,鈥� she said in her petition.
A widow living alone, she described how she had been facing harassment daily.
Shipu was shot four times and bullets pierced his kidney. Despite his injuries, he filed an attempted murder case with the Ashulia police on October 15, 2024 against 14 AL leaders.
On October 14, her son was attacked again鈥攁llegedly by 14 local Awami League leaders.
On December 23, 2024, Sheuli merged the two cases filed with Ashulia police and submitted a complaint to the Chief Prosecutor鈥檚 Office against Hasina and 44 others.
She said that the tribunal is set to review its investigation agency鈥檚 response over the case in the coming week.