Ex-senior secretary Jahangir shown arrested in Rickshaw puller Ripon murder case

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered that former Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, be shown arrested in a case over the killing of rickshaw puller Ripon during the July uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akhter passed the order following a petition filed by police, said state prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Suman.

Earlier, Inspector Mohsin Uddin of the Detective Branch, Lalbagh Division, produced the accused before the court and sought to show him arrested in the case, stating that sufficient evidence had been found of his alleged involvement.

The petition further said the case was under investigation and that there was a risk of the accused going into hiding and obstructing the probe if granted bail.

According to the case statement, on 5 August 2024, supporters of the banned Awami League and its affiliated bodies attacked a peaceful procession, during which Ripon sustained injuries to his neck.

He later died on 7 August at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases while undergoing treatment.

The victim’s wife, Shamima Akter, filed the case naming 31 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader, along with 200–250 unidentified persons.