Dhaka, Aug. 16, 2025 — A rickshaw puller who was beaten while trying to pay tribute at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic residence in Dhanmondi on Friday has now been sent to prison in connection with an attempted murder case tied to last year’s violent July movement.
Court orders detention
Police on Saturday produced Azizur Rahman before a Dhaka magistrate, charging him in an attempted murder case filed on August 4, 2024, during violent clashes at the Science Laboratory intersection. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Israt Jenifar Jerin ordered his detention pending investigation, court officials confirmed.
According to the police, the case accuses pro-opposition activists of carrying out armed attacks on ruling Awami League supporters and police during the July 2024 student-led uprising, which forced then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign after weeks of nationwide protests.
The assault at Dhanmondi 32
The incident gained attention after Azizur was beaten on August 15 while carrying flowers to Sheikh Mujib’s memorial on National Mourning Day, marking the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Eyewitnesses said pro-government activists confronted mourners at Dhanmondi 32, with Azizur dragged away and handed over to the police.
A police report filed by Sub-Inspector Mohammad Touhidur Rahman claims evidence and witness testimony identified Azizur as one of the attackers during the August 2024 clashes, where Ariful Islam, a pedestrian, was shot and hospitalized for two months.
Political tensions and controversy
Rights groups and opposition activists argue that Azizur’s arrest highlights how the interim political climate in Bangladesh has blurred the line between justice and retribution. Since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 and the rise of an army- and Islamist-backed interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, thousands of Awami League supporters have reportedly faced arrests and reprisals.
Human rights organizations such as Ain o Salish Kendra documented over 300 killings in the first week of the July 2024 uprising, while minority groups say attacks on their communities have continued unchecked. Analysts warn that politicized cases against individuals like Azizur deepen mistrust in the justice system.
A justice system under strain
The attempted murder case in which Azizur has been implicated centers on the bloodiest clashes of August 2024, when protesters demanding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation clashed with security forces.
“Instead of accountability for those responsible for the violence, we are seeing selective arrests of ordinary citizens,” one Dhaka-based lawyer told the Voice, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal.
As Bangladesh remains under an interim administration, the case of Azizur Rahman underscores the deepening intersection of politics, justice, and commemoration — where even acts of mourning have become grounds for criminal prosecution.
