Ex-secretaries Helaluddin, Mostafa Kamal placed on remand

A court in Dhaka has placed two former secretaries Helaluddin Ahmed and Mostafa Kamal Uddin on remand in two separate murder cases.

Dhaka’s chief metropolitan magistrate court passed the remand order on Friday afternoon.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s crimes and information department sub-inspector Alamgir Hossain confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

According to the police and court sources, police sought a 10-day remand for former secretary Helaluddin Ahmed in a case filed over the attack at BNP central office in Nayaplatan and the killing of BNP activist Makbul on 7 December 2022. The defence lawyer sought to quash the remand plea.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court granted a four-day remand for former election commission secretary Helaluddin to quiz in this case, the sources added.

Earlier, the police detained Helaluddin Ahmed from a house in the Khulshi Tultuli area of Chattogram on Wednesday evening.

Helaluddin Ahmed served as the secretary of the local government ministry before his retirement in 2022. Before that he was the election commission secretary.

Police had shown former senior secretary of public security division Mostafa Kamal Uddin arrested in a case over the killing of Jubo Dal leader Shamim Molla in Nayapaltan.

The police produced him before the court on Friday seeking a 10-day remand while the defendant filed for a bail. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court granted a day-remand to Mostafa Kamal Uddin to grill him the case.

Mostafa Kamal Uddin, who served as the secretary of the home ministry in 2017-2022, was arrested from Chattogram city on Thursday, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.