Arrest of former Speaker Shirin Sharmin in murder, vandalism cases; and some questions

Former Speaker of the Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has been arrested in a case involving attempted murder and vandalism during the anti-discrimination movement in Lalbagh, Dhaka.

This incident has raised fresh concerns about arbitrary detention in the country. Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, who once held the position of the third highest person in the state protocol after the President and the Prime Minister, has now become the latest victim of such detention. 

In the past, no person of her status was ever arrested or detained without a court warrant or proper case documents. But before arresting Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury from 'a house on 8/A Road in Dhanmondi', the DB police did not show a warrant, let alone any case papers. According to Daily Samakal Online, after being taken to the DB office on Minto Road in the capital, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was shown arrested in a case of attempted murder and vandalism filed during the anti-discrimination movement in Lalbagh in the capital.

Based on information received from DB sources, various media outlets including Daily Samakal Online are reporting that she was arrested from the house on 8/A Road in Dhanmondi at around 4:30 am on Tuesday. Although it is said to be early in the morning, in reality it is late at night, when anyone is in deep sleep. Is Shirin Sharmin a notorious accused that she has to be arrested at such a late hour?

A source from the Detective Branch told Daily Samakal that Shirin Sharmin had been hiding in different places and was last staying at the house of a relative named Masud Uddin in Dhanmondi. 

Many people have questioned this account because during the mass uprising on August 5, 2024, she had taken shelter in a secure room inside the Parliament Bhaban along with the then Deputy Speaker, several ministers, and members of parliament. They were later rescued by the army and taken to the cantonment, where they remained in army custody along with the then Chief Justice and more than six hundred other important individuals. This information was publicly confirmed at the time by the ISPR, the public relations wing of the armed forces.

Many of those who were in army custody were later handed over to the police or police arrested them with the help of army. Several high-profile figures, including the Deputy Speaker and the Law Minister, were arrested. However, the exact situation regarding the Speaker and the Chief Justice remained unclear for some time, which led to various rumours on social media. 

But no one can go to their own address from military custody, especially since various cases, including murder, have already been filed against them. This background has made many people doubt the police statement about the place and manner of her arrest.

The additional commissioner of the Detective Branch informed Daily Samakal that there are six cases against Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, including, murder case, related to the mass uprising. Final reports have been submitted in three of these cases, while the other three are still under investigation. Police have the authority to arrest someone in an ongoing investigation if needed. However, questions have been raised about why the Detective Branch chose to arrest her in connection with a new case instead of following proper procedure in the existing ones. This has once again highlighted concerns about arbitrary actions by law enforcement.

In previous governments, such arbitrary arrests by the police and other agencies were common and faced strong criticism for violating human rights. The High Court has also issued judgments against these practices. Many had hoped that the interim government, which came to power with promises to protect human rights and reform the police into a people-friendly force, would stop such arbitrary actions. Unfortunately, reports suggest that the number of illegal and unfounded arrests actually increased during that period. Even journalists and cultural activists were not spared from such violations of the rule of law.

In such a depressing and difficult situation, when the top leader of the BNP, today's Prime Minister, returned to the country after 17 years and first announced the establishment of rule of law and peace. He announced that he would put an end to the politics of revenge, then everyone, regardless of party affiliation, breathed a sigh of relief. In continuation of this, many people who had previously opposed the BNP even voted for the party in the parliamentary elections held on February12.

However, the late-night arrest of an important figure like Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury from a home without a specific case or warrant has shaken that public optimism. Shirin Sharmin was an Awami League MP and held a party position for some time. But can anyone say that while performing those duties, she has ever done anything harassing against any political opponent? Has she ever imprisoned someone for months on end with fake cases like many other ministers and MPs? Or are there any allegations of corruption or irregularities against her?

There are murder cases against her that the police say are still under investigation. If the investigation finds sufficient evidence, she could have been arrested with a proper court warrant. Does the current BNP-led government lack the patience to wait for that process?

How credible is the allegation that Shirin Sharmin went to kill someone or vandalised? Will anyone now believe that the promise that BNP came to power under the leadership of Tarique Rahman to bring about changes in the political and state system will be fulfilled? 

There is still time for the government to issue a clear statement regarding Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, let the law to take its proper course, and uphold the commitment to the rule of law without obstructing her bail.

Writer: Saifur Rahman Tapan, Assistant Editor, Samakal

The article was originally published in the Daily Samakal Online Bengali version and has been rewritten for the English version by Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Senior Sub-Editor.