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Published : 21 Jun 2025, 10:57 PM
Former additional inspector general of police (IGP) Iqbal Bahar has been sent to jail in connection with the murder of Shahinur Begum, who was killed during the July Uprising in Dhaka’s Kajla area under the Jatrabari Police Station.
At a hearing on Saturday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana denied his bail request and ordered him into custody, according to Sub-Inspector Sharifuzzaman from the court’s prosecution team.
The investigating officer Inspector Kazi Ramjanul Haque of Jatrabari Police Station presented Iqbal in court and requested that he be held in jail during the investigation.
Defending Iqbal, lawyer Morshed Alam Shahin argued: “He’s been wrongly accused—there’s no concrete allegation against him. He had no involvement in the incident.”
He went on to highlight that others facing similar charges had been granted bail, saying: “Former minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury got bail, and actress Nusrat Faria was released a day after her arrest.”
Iqbal Bahar, who previously served as the Chattogram Metropolitan Police commissioner, was arrested on Friday afternoon in Dhaka.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali told bdnews24.com that Iqbal was detained around 3pm at a local club, where he was allegedly gambling.
Authorities say he is accused in three separate murder cases linked to the July protests—filed in the Gulshan, Mirpur Model, and Jatrabari police stations.
According to the case filed at Jatrabari Police Station, the incident occurred on Jul 22, 2024, when students were peacefully demonstrating near the Kajla footbridge.
Shahinur Begum was among the crowd, offering water to the protesters, when police reportedly launched tear gas, sound grenades, rubber bullets, and even live ammunition.
Shahinur suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After battling her injuries for over a month, she passed away on Aug 31, 2024.
Following her death, her daughter Habeza Akhter filed a case naming 297 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
An additional 250 to 300 unidentified individuals were also listed as accused.
Iqbal Bahar began his career in 1989 as an assistant superintendent of police (ASP). Over the years, he held several high-profile roles, including deputy inspector general (DIG) in Rajshahi and superintendent of police in both Dhaka and Jashore.
He was appointed Chattogram Police Commissioner in 2016 and retired in 2022. His tenure was often clouded by controversy, drawing frequent media attention.
