He faces charges for attempted murder
Published : 14 Sep 2024, 07:57 PM
Safi Muddaser Khan Joty, the son of former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, has been remanded in custody for questioning in an attempted murder case filed with Ashulia Police Station.
Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate M Saiful Islam placed him on a four-day remand following a hearing on Saturday.
Police had requested a seven-day remand for questioning, according to Sub-Inspector Abu Taher Miah of Ashulia Police Station, who is investigating the case.
Joty's lawyer, Morshed Hossain, argued against the remand request, arguing that although his client is the son of a former home minister, he has no political connections or positions.
Morshed told the court that Joty had been advised by the doctor to stay home due to illness on the day of the alleged incident.
“If a police officer who is a friend of his committed any wrongdoing, it does not justify implicating my client. This case was filed to harass him because of his family background," the lawyer added.
Joty was arrested in Dhaka on Friday night in connection with the attempted murder case filed on Sept 11 by Robiul Sani.
The case lists 30 accused, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, with Joti as the fourth accused.
Other notable figures charged include Asaduzzaman, former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, Ferdous Zaman, former secretary of the University Grants Commission, or UGC, and several others.
Joty is the only son of Asaduzzaman and oversees the family business, Savar Refractories Limited.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5, several former ministers and leaders of the Awami League have been arrested, but Asaduzzaman has remained out of public view.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, or BFIU, has frozen the bank accounts of the former member of parliament, his wife Lutful Tahmina Khan and their children.
They are also under a travel ban.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, has launched an investigation into allegations that Asaduzzaman and his associates took millions of takas in bribes through job appointments, transfers, and postings.
According to the complaint submitted to the ACC, the former minister allegedly took large sums of money from police, the Department of Narcotics Control, and the Fire Service during his time as home minister.