Court grants five-day remand for local Awami League leader in Khaleda Zia motorcade attack case

A Dhaka court granted a five-day remand on Tuesday for Md. Abul Kashem Patwari, also known as “Hatkata Kashem,” in connection with the attack on the motorcade of former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Kashem, identified as the president of the Tejgaon Thana unit of the now-banned Sramik League, appeared before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam, who issued the order following a hearing.

State prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the court’s decision. During the proceedings, the investigation officer, Police Inspector Abdul Hannan of Tejgaon Police Station, presented arguments for the necessity of custodial interrogation. Conversely, defense attorney Monir Hossain Sumon requested that the remand be vacated and sought bail for the defendant. The state opposed the bail plea, leading the court to approve the five-day remand period.

Kashem was initially arrested on August 17 in the Karwan Bazar area of the capital. He was subsequently remanded to jail on August 18 after a prior bail request was denied. On August 20, investigators filed a petition seeking a seven-day remand to question the suspect, leading to Tuesday’s scheduled hearing.

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The legal proceedings stem from a case filed on August 22, 2024, at Tejgaon Police Station against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 112 others. The case was initiated by Bellal Hossain, General Secretary of the BNP’s Ward 26 unit in Dhaka North.

According to the case documents, the incident occurred on April 20, 2015, during the Dhaka North City Corporation election campaign. While campaigning for BNP-backed mayoral candidate Tabith Awal, Khaleda Zia’s motorcade was targeted in the Karwan Bazar area. The complaint alleges that the attackers used weapons to obstruct the campaign and engaged in vandalism, resulting in severe injuries to multiple individuals with the intent to commit murder.