Published : 28 Sep 2026, 03:06 PM
Updated : 28 Sep 2026, 03:06 PM
Former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak has raised his handcuffed hands and said, “My hands are bleeding in rusted handcuffs,” while being taken back to prison after a court appearance in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The incident occurred on Monday as Palak was being transferred from the court lockup to a prison van after the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court of Shahjahan Kabir set Nov 23 as the new date for the submission of the investigation report.
The ACC failed to submit its findings on Monday as scheduled, according to Assistant Director of Prosecution Police Aminul Islam.
Although Palak was brought to court, he was kept in the court lockup and was not brought to the courtroom during the proceedings.
He repeated the remark from the prison van before it left the court premises.
His lawyer Tarikul Islam later explained what the former state minister intended to convey through the statement.
“He has been in jail for a long time. He is being shown arrested in different cases. He is being subjected to abuse and persecution. He is not being granted bail. Human rights are being violated. He wanted to convey that he has been deprived of justice,” the lawyer said.
The ACC case was filed on Dec 12, 2024 by its Deputy Director Md Mostafizur Rahman at the commission's Integrated District Office-1 in Dhaka.
According to the case statement, Palak “illegally acquired and possessed immovable and movable assets worth Tk 87.35 million, inconsistent with his known sources of income”.
The complaint also alleges that transactions through 25 bank accounts in his name, including deposits totalling Tk 320.50 million and withdrawals amounting to Tk 298.47 million, constituted unusual financial activity and involved money laundering through “bribery and corruption”.
Palak was arrested on Aug 15, 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government.
He has since been taken into remand at different times for questioning in murder and attempted murder cases.
