A case has been filed against former Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and 122 others for their alleged involvement in an attack on anti-discrimination student protesters during the mass uprising in Kishoreganj last year. The case was lodged by 27-year-old Tohmul Islam Mazharul, a resident of Kishoreganj Sadar, with the Kishoreganj Sadar Model Police Station. According to Abdullah Al Mamun, the officer-in-charge of the station, the accused include Sheikh Hasina's siblings, Sheikh Rehana; her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy; her daughter, Saima Wazed Putul; Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader; and several other senior Awami League leaders.

Since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, around 50 politically motivated cases have been filed in the district, with 11 of them registered at the Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station. The OC noted that this is the first instance of former President Hamid being named in such a case. Approximately 4,000 named individuals and over 10,000 unnamed persons have been implicated across these cases.

The case statement accuses the defendants of planning a mass killing, both domestically and abroad, to suppress the protests that erupted during Sheikh Hasina’s regime. It alleges that the accused supplied firearms, local weapons, and financial resources to execute the crackdown on protesters, resulting in a massacre.

The incident in question reportedly took place on August 4 last year, during a student-led anti-discrimination protest in Kishoreganj. Tohmul, who identifies as a member of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), claimed to have been injured during the protest. He cited his ongoing medical treatment as the reason for the delay in filing the case. This case adds to the growing number of legal actions reflecting the volatile political climate in Bangladesh, highlighting the intensifying confrontations between the opposition and the former ruling party.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.