Bangladesh: Murder case against Sheikh Hasina over police firing death of grocery shop owner

This is the first case filed against Hasina after she resigned and fled to India

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Days after Bangladesh's interim government said it would try to repatriate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, a murder case was against her and six others. The case pertains to the murder of a grocery shop owner in the police firing in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area on July 19.

The deceased, identified as Abu Sayed, was fired upon by police during a procession in support of the quota reform movement at Bosila, reported Daily Star. 

Besides Sheikh Hasina, a case has also been filed against Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and three former top police officials.

This is the first case filed against Sheikh Hasina after she resigned and fled to India. The petitioner is a Mohammadpur resident named Amir Hamza Shatil, who identifies him as a well-wisher of the victim and a Bangladeshi citizen. He said he filed the case voluntarily as the victim's family members have no ability to file a case over the death of the victim.

The hearing for this case will reportedly take place on Tuesday afternoon. 

The case comes as Bangladesh's foreign ministry said it will take steps to bring back Sheikh Hasina if the law ministry makes a request. Interim government foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the law ministry and any action will be taken by the foreign ministry only if a request is received from them. 

However, Bangladesh's interim government said Hasina's stay in Delhi won't affect the relations between the both countries.

On a query related to Hasina's stay in India, Hossain said the bilateral relationship between the two countries was not influenced by the presence of one individual in a country. "Bilateral relations are a significant matter, involving mutual interests from both sides—India has its interests, and Bangladesh has its interests," he said. 

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