Mostafa Kamal
Meghna Group chairman Mostafa Kamal and a total of 264 others were sued in a case filed over the death of Parvez Mia during the student-led mass protests in the capital’s Jatrabari on August 5.
Victim’s mother Kaniz Fatema (60) filed the case with Jatrabari Police Station on October 29 under the Penal Code, 1860 sections 302/109/ 114.
The plaintiff, wife of late Khokon Ali, is a resident of Darbar Goli in Jatrabari’s Matuail area.
In the FIR, Mostafa Kamal has been listed as an accused mentioning an Awami League leader and the ‘funder’ of brutal crackdown on students’ peaceful anti-quota movement.
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, former law minister Anisul Huq, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Trinamool BNP chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Junayed Ahmed Polok, Beximco Group vice-chairman Salman F Rahman, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former additional IGP Monirul Islam, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mohammad Habibur Rahman, former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General Dr Harun-Ar-Rashid, former Detective Branch (DB) chief Md Harun Ar Rashid, former DMP joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar, former DIG (Dhaka Range) Nurul Islam, former chief of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Banaj Kumar Majumder, former Dhaka-5 MP Monirul Islam Manu, Jatrabari Awami League leader Mashihur Rahman Sajal, former MP Sanjida Khanam, former MP Syed Abul Hossain Babla, additional commissioner (Wari Division) SM Shamim, former officer in-charge (OC) of Jatrabari Police Station Md Hasan are among the accused in the case.
Jatrabari area was one of the key hotspots in Dhaka’s student led mass protests erupted on July 1with an agenda of reforming public job quotas.
Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who ruled for over 15 years with an iron fist, resigned from office on August 5 and fled to India after weeks-long mass uprising which she tried to deal with brutal crackdown on protesters.
Hasina ordered shoot-on-sight on protesters, as well as imposed curfew and an internet and communications blackout to stave-off protests against her government.
Meanwhile, the surrounding areas of Jatrabari, including Shanir Akhra and Kajla, turned into a killing field where protesters first showed the courage to confront law enforcement agencies and AL supporters directly. A total of 86 people killed during the protests in the area. The number of fatalities was highest among others places in Dhaka that saw crimson tide.
On 5 August, at least 36 people, including Parvez Mia, were killed in Jatrabari due to indiscriminate police firing. Seven policemen, one RAB member and one Ansar member were also killed in Jatrabari area as the protesters pitched battles with law-enforcement personnel and AL men throughout the day, turning the area into a battleground.
Parvez was killed at 5pm on a road in front of Jatrabari Police Station, according to the case document which The South Asian Times obtained.
The victim was later buried at the Matuail graveyard.
Sub-Inspector of Jatrabari Police Station Md Nazmul Hasan has been made investigation officer of the murder case. When asked, he admitted filing of the case and said he is yet to talk with the plaintiff for her bad health condition.
Kaniz Fatima could not be reached for comments despite several attempts on her cell phone.
Mostafa Kamal, a close ally of Salman F Rahman, has allegedly provided funds to the AL associate bodies to fend-off the protests which initially were largely peaceful.
However, tensions escalated on July 15 when protesters were attacked reportedly by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The attacks took place at Dhaka University and other institutions, using iron rods, sticks, bricks, and firearms. It resulted in numerous injuries and escalating violence across the country.
It was alleged that Mostafa Kamal is among the businessmen who took undue facilities during the Awami League regime. He also accused of laundering big sum of money aboard.
The Meghna Group chairman cannot be contacted for comments as his cell phone was switched off. But various sources said, he fled the country following the fall of Sheikh Hasina.
