A leader of the Dhaka North unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League has been formally shown as arrested in connection with the murder of Mahbub Hasan Mamun, who was killed during the anti-discrimination student movement in the capital’s Kafrul area last year.

The order was issued on Thursday, 2 July, after the investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Md Abdul Alim of Kafrul Police Station, produced the suspect before a Dhaka court and sought permission to show him arrested in the case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam granted the application following a hearing. Public prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon later confirmed the court’s decision.

The accused, Robiul Islam Robin, serves as the Disaster Management Secretary of the Dhaka North unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League. During the hearing, the prosecution argued that Robin was present near the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office in Mirpur while the student movement was taking place. According to the prosecution, he was among those implementing directives allegedly issued by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior Awami League leader Obaidul Quader.

The prosecution further alleged that armed attacks were carried out against protesting students and members of the public at the scene. It claimed that Mahbub Hasan Mamun sustained fatal gunshot wounds during the violence and later died as a result of those injuries. Prosecutors maintained that the preliminary investigation had placed the accused at the location alongside other party activists, making his detention necessary to ensure a proper investigation.

Defence lawyers, led by Advocate Gazi Faisal Islam, strongly opposed the police application. They argued before the court that no specific allegations had been established against their client in the present case. According to the defence, Robin had already secured bail in several other cases, yet investigators continued to seek his arrest in new proceedings solely on the basis of suspicion.

Following the hearing, Advocate Faisal Islam told journalists that the defence had previously filed a writ petition before the High Court on behalf of the accused. He stated that a High Court bench had issued a rule directing the authorities not to arrest or harass Robin in any fresh case unless specific allegations were first established against him.

The defence argued that the court had been presented with a copy of the High Court’s order, yet the accused was nevertheless shown as arrested in the murder case. Counsel maintained that the latest action was inconsistent with the spirit of the High Court’s directive and expressed concern over what they described as a possible violation of that order.

According to the case statement, Mahbub Hasan Mamun was shot during clashes in front of the BRTA office in Mirpur on 17 July 2024, when demonstrations linked to the anti-discrimination student movement were taking place across the capital. He later died from his injuries.

Several months after the incident, on 21 November 2024, the victim’s wife, Shahinur, filed a murder case. The complaint named 161 individuals as accused, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In its application seeking to show Robin arrested, police stated that preliminary findings indicated he had been present at the scene alongside other political activists. Investigators alleged that members of the ruling party’s student wing participated in efforts to suppress what the complaint described as a legitimate student-led protest, during which the victim was fatally shot.

Police also told the court that formally showing the accused arrested was essential for the fair and effective progress of the investigation. They added that an application for remand could be submitted at a later stage should further custodial interrogation become necessary.

The case forms part of a wider series of investigations arising from deaths and injuries reported during the student protests of July 2024. Those incidents have resulted in numerous criminal cases across Bangladesh, with investigators continuing to examine allegations against political leaders, activists and others believed to have been involved in the violence.