Published : 10 Sep 2026, 07:18 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:49 AM
Former Begum Rokeya University vice chancellor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah has been officially arrested in a murder case connected to the July Movement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam issued the order on Thursday following an application by the case’s investigating officer.
Kalimullah's lawyer Mohsin Reza said that his client had been arrested in the Tariqul Islam Rubel murder case at Kafrul Police Station.
Detective Branch (DB) police arrested Kalimullah from his home in Mohammadpur on Aug 7 last year. His bail application was rejected on the same day and he was sent to jail. He has been in jail since.
Kalimullah was granted bail by the High Court on Jun 14. Afterwards, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Shahjahan Kabir allowed him to file a bail application on the condition of submitting a bond of Tk 100,000 and his passport. He was awaiting release as he had not been arrested in any other cases.
However, his release was blocked on Jul 30 when he was shown arrested in an attempt to murder connected to the July Uprising at Dhaka's Uttara West Police Station. He was recently granted bail in this case as well.
On Sept 7, Kafrul Police Station Sub-Inspector Zahurul Islam petitioned to have him shown arrested in the Rubel murder case. The court set the hearing date for Thursday, in the presence of the accused.
Kalimullah was produced in court during the hearing.
During the hearing, his lawyer Mohsin Reza said, "This accused does not have any political position, he is a professor. He only held the position of vice chancellor of a university."
"An application has been filed to show him arrested in this case solely based on that. I plead for him not to be shown arrested."
State lawyer Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon argued in favour of the arrest, saying: "This accused was involved in Awami League politics. He is involved in this murder."
Kalimullah spoke with permission from the court, stating: “I was never involved in any political party during my student life, or my teaching life, and I am still not. When I was the vice chancellor, I held a press conference that spoke out against then education minister Dr Dipu Moni.
“Still, I have been sent to jail. I protested and spoke about the killing of Abu Sayed during the July Uprising. I am a teacher. Nothing more.”
After hearing from both sides, the court ordered him to be arrested in this case. After that, Kalimullah was sent back to jail.
According to the case details, Rubel was taking part in a protest in the Kafrul area on Jul 19, 2024 when protesters were shot and attacked around 8pm. Rubel died after being shot in the head and a case was later filed over the incident.
