MP's son Mintu remanded for two more days in Chhatra Dal leader Shakil murder case

A court has granted a two-day remand for Nuruzzaman Mintu, the elder son of local MP Abdul Aziz, in the murder case of Shakil Islam (32), member secretary of the Gurudaspur municipal unit of Chhatra Dal in Natore.

The remand application was heard at the Gurudaspur Police Station's cognizance court at around 11am on Monday. The case's investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam of the district Detective Branch (DB), had sought seven days' remand; after the hearing, the court granted two days.

Mintu's earlier three-day remand had ended last Friday. It was during that remand that the case was transferred from the police station to the DB.

After the three-day remand ended, Mintu was produced before the court on Friday afternoon, and the new investigating officer, Shafiqul Islam, again applied for seven days' remand.

Speaking to Ajker Patrika on Monday noon, Shafiqul Islam said Mintu's lawyer opposed the application at the remand hearing. His argument was that Mintu had already been remanded once, so there was no need for a second remand.

The prosecution, on the other hand, said the previous remand had taken place under a different investigating officer and that the new investigating officer also needed to interrogate the accused. After hearing both sides, the court granted two days' remand.

The investigating officer added that Mintu had been produced before the court during the hearing. After the remand was granted, he was taken to hospital for a health check-up; from there he will be taken to the DB office for interrogation.

Chhatra Dal leader Shakil Islam came under attack in Gurudaspur on the night of 14 October. He later died on the night of 26 October while undergoing treatment in Dhaka.

On the day of Shakil's death, leaders and activists of the central Chhatra Dal confined Natore-4 MP Abdul Aziz at the hospital. Later, at his father's word, Mintu went to the police station and surrendered.

Two other men, Anisur Rahman and Md Al-Amin, have also been arrested in the Shakil murder case. They are currently in jail. The investigating officer said applications will also be made to take them on remand.