Main suspect in Narayanganj activist murder case assaulted at court as 11 remanded
Photo Collected
NARAYANGANJ — Tensions escalated at the Narayanganj court premises on Sunday as protesters assaulted the prime suspect in the murder of Islami Andolan Bangladesh leader Zahid Al Amin.
Sheikh Sifat, 45, the primary suspect in the killing, was physically attacked by party activists and relatives of the deceased while being escorted by police into the courthouse. Witnesses reported that the crowd broke through security cordons, punching and kicking the suspect, causing significant disruption within the court vicinity.
Despite the chaotic scenes, the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nurul Huda Chowdhury granted a 10-day remand for Sifat and six other male suspects. Four female suspects implicated in the same case were granted a three-day remand.
Zahid Al Amin, who served as the joint secretary of the Bandar South branch of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the law and human rights secretary of the party’s youth wing, was hacked to death in the Saleh Nagar area of Bandar on Thursday night. Following the murder, his younger brother, Zobaid Al Amin, filed a case at the Bandar Police Station naming 40 individuals and naming an additional 15 to 20 unidentified suspects.
Court police inspector Abdus Samad stated that the crowd became volatile due to the nature of the crime and attempted to confront law enforcement as well. Footage of the assault on Sifat, during which his clothing was torn, has since circulated widely on social media.
Public scrutiny surrounding the case intensified following Sifat’s initial arrest on Friday. While being presented at the office of the Narayanganj Superintendent of Police, Sifat was captured on camera mimicking a defiant gesture from the popular film “Pushpa,” an act that drew widespread condemnation online.
Police investigations suggest the motive for the murder stems from a dispute that began during the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement. Officials state that the conflict originated over food supplies for protesters, which escalated after Zahid filed a case regarding an attack on his auto-rickshaw garage. Police claim that Zahid had been receiving death threats related to that legal action.
Following the murder, authorities apprehended 11 suspects within six hours and seized various locally made weapons. In the wake of the killing, Islami Andolan Bangladesh leaders blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway for half an hour on Friday to protest the violence. On Sunday, party leaders submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the swift prosecution of all involved and state compensation for the victim’s family.
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