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Published : 26 Mar 2026, 10:43 PM
The former head of the country’s military intelligence claims he had “helped” current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman secure bail during the 2007-8 caretaker government, but denies “ordering” the shooting at students amid the July Uprising.
Directorate General of Forces Intelligence’s (DGFI) ex-chief Sheikh Mamun Khaled made the comments after he was produced before a Dhaka court on Thursday.
Metropolitan Magistrate Siddique Azad placed him on a five-day remand in a murder case linked to the 2024 uprising.
Alongside claiming to have evidence against him in the murder, the state alleged that he had thrown three-time former premier Khaleda Zia out of her cantonment residence during the tenure of the Awami League government.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi said Mamun was one of the masterminds of the 1/11 changeover.
Taking permission from the court at the hearing, Mamun said he was in Cumilla during 1/11 and that all those in charge during Sheikh Hasina's time were abroad.
"If I had been involved, I would have been abroad. My daughter is studying abroad. I have been there several times. If I wanted, I could have stayed there. I would not have returned home,” he said.
Mamun went on to say: "I played a direct role in the bail of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman."
Regarding the alleged scam in the Jalshiri housing project, he said: "A person named Nazrul gave me the responsibility of recovering Tk 15 billion. I was only involved in the recovery."
He recalled giving depositions on two or three times on “Aynaghar” (house of mirrors), saying: "There were no complaints during my tenure. I returned from the UK on the 18th of September, 2024 and stayed in the country."
Stating that he was the founding vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Professionals, the ex-DGFI chief said the students there were encouraged during the July movement.
"There is no question of even going to the place mentioned in the case because I had not gone outside the DOHS at the time. Who will shoot at my command in 2024? I was a civilian then."
Mamun was arrested around 12:30am on Wednesday from his residence in Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka.
According to the remand plea, on Jul 19, 2024, between 500 and 700 Awami League activists attacked a student-led protest at Mirpur-10 using locally-made sharp weapons and firearms.
Upon on Mamun’s orders, gunfire was opened indiscriminately on protesters, it added.
The petition said protester Delwar Hossain was critically injured in the shooting and died on Jul 21 at a private hospital in Shyamoli.
