Trial begins against Hasina, 33 others in truck driver Hossain murder case

A Dhaka court on Monday ordered the trial to begin against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others in a case over the killing of truck driver Md Hossain during the July uprising in Mohammadpur.

Judge Md Robiul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 passed the order after rejecting the discharge petitions filed by the accused.

The court also set 25 November for recording witness testimony, court bench assistant Belal Hossain said.

This is reportedly the first case in Dhaka courts to reach the trial stage among those filed over atrocities during the student-led mass uprising in July 2024.

According to the case documents, Hossain was shot dead in Mohammadpur on July 19, 2024, during the July uprising. Two others, identified as Sazzad and Shahin, were injured in the incident.

Following Hossain’s death, his mother, Mst Reena Begum, filed a case on 31 August, 2024, accusing Sheikh Hasina and 15 others.

After the investigation, Mohammadpur Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Akramuzzaman submitted the charge sheet to the court on 23 November last year, naming Sheikh Hasina and 33 others as accused.

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Of the 34 accused, 20, including Sheikh Hasina, are absconding. Former state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and former lawmaker Sadek Khan are among the four accused currently in jail, while 10 others are out on bail.

Other prominent accused include Awami League General Secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Bangladesh Chhatra League (now banned) President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan.