We were forced to stay at a special room in the parliament on 5 August: Zunaid Ahmed

Former state minister for information and telecommunication, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, has told the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court that he was not involved in any killing on 5 August.

He was confined at the national parliament on that day. Army troops rescued him and 11 others in the early hours of 6 August.

Meanwhile, former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, Tureen Afroz, has claimed before the court that she was physically tortured during remand.

However, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court chief public prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi strongly opposed their claims saying they were involved in the killings.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak was produced before the court at 10:35am. The police told the court that a local worker named Abdul Jabbar was killed in the capitals’ Badda area on 5 August. Zunaid Ahmed is one of the accused in the case filed over the killing. The police need to interrogate him in remand to unravel the mystery behind the killing.

After that, Zunaid Ahmed raised his hand and asked for court permission to speak.

The court gave him the permission and Zunaid Ahmed started saying, “It is being said that I was involved in the killing that took place in Badda on 5 August. I want to inform you (court) that I was at the parliament around 11:00am on 5 August. There, we were attacked. At one point, we were forced to take shelter in a special room of the parliament and had to stay there until the army rescued us from there at around 2:30am on 6 August.”

He further told the court, “I don’t have any involvement in the killing as I was at the parliament that day. The court has already granted 86 days of remand for me. If I need to be questioned, do it at the jail gate.”

PP Faruqi strongly opposed the statement of Zunaid Ahmed. He told the court, “We had heard that several people, including Zunaid Ahmed and the then speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, were hiding inside the parliament on 5 August. Today, Zunaid Ahmed disclosed that incident. Former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is yet to be brought to book.”

Faruq Faruqi said, “We have repeatedly said the persons who plotted the killing should get the same punishment as those involved in the killings directly. Zunaid Ahmed was involved in the conspiracy. He was among the few who had meetings with fascist Sheikh Hasina during the July uprising.”

After hearing both sides, the court granted a three-day remand for Zunaid Ahmed.

Dhaka CMM court judge was yet to come to the court room at 10:01 am. At the time, former International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Tureen Afroz, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president Hasanul Haq Inu, Bangladesh Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, former state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque was standing on the dock.

At that time, Tureen Afroz moved towards Hasanul Haq and started weeping saying she was subjected to physical torture during the remand. In reply, the JSD president said, “You can inform the court about this. You can also talk about this before the media.”

Later, the judge entered the court room around 10:15 am. A lawyer drew the attention of the judge saying, “Tureen Afroz has something to say. She was subjected to physical torture in remand.”

Following that Tureen Afroz raised her hands for court permission to speak. Upon getting the permission, she went on saying, “I am always respectful to the laws and courts of the country. I was never affiliated with any political party. I am not involved in any political activities now either. I joined the ICT as a prosecutor only as part of my professional duty.”

“I have physical complications. I have trouble walking. I was hit on my legs in remand,” she added.

However, chief prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi told the court the statement was false saying, “None of the accused has been tortured under the rule of the interim government. Tureen Afroz was not tortured either. She is lying.”

However, Tureen Afroz continued to claim that she was tortured in remand and showed her leg and said, “I am not lying.”

Meanwhile, the police appealed to the court to grant remand for former minister Shajahan Khan for questioning in the case filed with the Jatrabari police station over the killing of Arif Khan. A police official placed the plea while Shajahan Khan’s lawyers opposed the plea.

One of his lawyers said his client was elected a lawmaker eight times. Shahjahan Khan’s grandfather was also a leader of the Anti-British movement.

At the time, some pro-BNP lawyers started chanting, “Fake MP Shahjahan.”

At that time PP Omar Faruq Faruqi told the court, “Shahjahan Khan was in another party. He joined the Awami League and got the post of a presidium member. He was one of the key associates of fascist Hasina.”

After that Shahjahan Khan raised his hand for permission to speak. He said, “I have five blocks in my heart. I had to be admitted to a hospital twice. I am sick. If I need to be questioned, do it at the jail gate.”

While Shahjahan Khan was speaking, a group of lawyers told the court, “He even talked about beating up the police.”

PP Omar Faruq Faruqi told the court, “The accused also have equal responsibilities to maintain the environment of the court. The accused should not say anything that can ruin that.”

A group of lawyers were still making noise. They kept taunting Shahjahan Khan.

Following that, Shahjahan Khan told the court, “Can’t we not even speak? Don’t we have any right to speak?”

After Shahjahan Khan, Dhaka University unit Chhatra League general secretary Tanvir Hasan Saikat started talking with the permission of the court. He said, “I am a Chhatra League activist.”

As soon as he said that, a group of lawyers started chanting, “Terrorist Chhatra League. Banned Chhatra League.” They kept on chanting while Tanvir continued to speak.