Ex-IGP Mamun placed on 43-day remand in eight murder cases
Former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun has been placed on a 43-day remand in eight separate murder cases filed in connection with several deaths during the July-August student-led uprising.
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahin Reza today placed him on a 38-day fresh remand in seven cases filed over the deaths of seven people in the city's Jatrabari area.
According to court sources, police presented Mamun before the court with a plea for a 100-day remand in 10 cases, while the defendant's lawyer filed a petition seeking a cancellation of the remand.
The court, however, rejected the lawyer's petition.
Mamun was already on a five-day remand in another murder case filed over the death of Tahir Zaman Priyo, 27, in the New Market area.
When contacted, Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told TBS that, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the maximum allowable remand period for a single case is 15 days.
"However, the former IGP has been placed on remand for 43 days across eight separate cases. This is unprecedented; I have never encountered such an extended remand duration in my career," he said.
According to the defendant's lawyer, the former IGP has been put on remand for a total of 61 days in different cases so far. There are at least 36 cases filed against him in different police stations.
Abdullah Al-Mamun took over as the IGP on 30 September 2022 by replacing Benazir Ahmed, who also served as RAB DG like Mamun and was sanctioned by the USA.
Mamun reportedly led the police in the crackdown on opposition political leaders and activists, managed the January 2024 election and made all-out efforts to crush the student protests against the Hasina-led government.
Before the expiry of his tenure, the government on 5 July extended his tenure for another year, ending speculation to appoint a new chief. His appointment was terminated after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August.