Monday, 12 January, 2026
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has recommended the discharge of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 112 others in a case filed over the attempted murder of a man and nine students during the July Uprising, citing its failure to trace any of the alleged victims.
In its final report submitted to the court on 5 November, the PBI said the case stemmed from an “information mistake”, as investigators were unable to verify the identities, injuries or medical treatment of those named as victims.
Sub-Inspector Abul Bashar of the Prosecution Department said the court has fixed 3 February for a hearing on the report.
Senior Awami League leaders Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif and Shamim Osman, along with Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders Saddam Hossain and Sheikh Ali Asif Inan, are also among the suspects.
According to the case statement, Shahed Ali was injured on 4 August while returning home from work near Shimanto Square, when violence broke out in front of a Meena Bazar at Dhanmondi 27. The complaint also alleged that nine students from Dhaka College and City College were injured in the same incident.
Police initially arrested four people, and the investigation was later transferred to the PBI.
However, the investigating officer, Inspector Shahjahan Bhuiyan, said he could not trace any of the alleged victims. He noted that the official gazette listing those injured during the July protests did not include anyone matching the description given in the case.
“I have submitted a report recommending the discharge of the suspects due to informational error,” Shahjahan said.
The final report states that investigators failed to locate Shahed Ali or others named in the complaint, including Jannatul Ferdous Naima, Aisha Akter, Sammy Akter, and several individuals identified by single names such as Rashed, Jewel, Mahmud, Nahid, Rasel and Miraj.
Investigators also searched nearby hospitals but found no record of treatment or admission corresponding to the alleged injuries.
“I was beaten. Many were injured. Something seems off, as police could not verify the facts in the July–August case,” Sharif said.
He claimed that the injured avoided hospitals at the time due to fear, seeking treatment instead from pharmacies and drug stores.
However, the final report noted that Shahjahan formally asked the complainant to produce his brother at the police station, but no one appeared. A notice sent to Sharif’s rented address in Hazaribagh yielded no result, with the landlord saying no tenant by that name lived there.
Shahjahan said he later met Sharif at Dhanmondi Lake after contacting him via WhatsApp, but the complainant failed to provide documentary or medical evidence during or after the meeting.
Sharif has alleged that he received threats after filing the case.
Many of these cases were lodged in the immediate aftermath of the political transition, often naming large numbers of political leaders. Law enforcement agencies, including the PBI, have since been reviewing several such cases, with some investigations recommending discharge or further scrutiny due to lack of corroborating evidence, while others remain under active investigation.
Sheikh Hasina has consistently denied responsibility for violence during the unrest, and no court has yet delivered a final verdict in the majority of the post-uprising cases.
Comments
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has recommended the discharge of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 112 others in a case filed over the attempted murder of a man and nine students during the July Uprising, citing its failure to trace any of the alleged victims.
In its final report submitted to the court on 5 November, the PBI said the case stemmed from an “information mistake”, as investigators were unable to verify the identities, injuries or medical treatment of those named as victims.
Sub-Inspector Abul Bashar of the Prosecution Department said the court has fixed 3 February for a hearing on the report.
Senior Awami League leaders Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif and Shamim Osman, along with Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders Saddam Hossain and Sheikh Ali Asif Inan, are also among the suspects.
According to the case statement, Shahed Ali was injured on 4 August while returning home from work near Shimanto Square, when violence broke out in front of a Meena Bazar at Dhanmondi 27. The complaint also alleged that nine students from Dhaka College and City College were injured in the same incident.
Police initially arrested four people, and the investigation was later transferred to the PBI.
However, the investigating officer, Inspector Shahjahan Bhuiyan, said he could not trace any of the alleged victims. He noted that the official gazette listing those injured during the July protests did not include anyone matching the description given in the case.
“I have submitted a report recommending the discharge of the suspects due to informational error,” Shahjahan said.
The final report states that investigators failed to locate Shahed Ali or others named in the complaint, including Jannatul Ferdous Naima, Aisha Akter, Sammy Akter, and several individuals identified by single names such as Rashed, Jewel, Mahmud, Nahid, Rasel and Miraj.
Investigators also searched nearby hospitals but found no record of treatment or admission corresponding to the alleged injuries.
“I was beaten. Many were injured. Something seems off, as police could not verify the facts in the July–August case,” Sharif said.
He claimed that the injured avoided hospitals at the time due to fear, seeking treatment instead from pharmacies and drug stores.
However, the final report noted that Shahjahan formally asked the complainant to produce his brother at the police station, but no one appeared. A notice sent to Sharif’s rented address in Hazaribagh yielded no result, with the landlord saying no tenant by that name lived there.
Shahjahan said he later met Sharif at Dhanmondi Lake after contacting him via WhatsApp, but the complainant failed to provide documentary or medical evidence during or after the meeting.
Sharif has alleged that he received threats after filing the case.
Many of these cases were lodged in the immediate aftermath of the political transition, often naming large numbers of political leaders. Law enforcement agencies, including the PBI, have since been reviewing several such cases, with some investigations recommending discharge or further scrutiny due to lack of corroborating evidence, while others remain under active investigation.
Sheikh Hasina has consistently denied responsibility for violence during the unrest, and no court has yet delivered a final verdict in the majority of the post-uprising cases.
Comments
