Former State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak was presented before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on Wednesday, July 9, in connection with two murder cases filed over the July mass uprising.
During the court appearance, Palak stood in the dock in tears, visibly overwhelmed by emotion, though he refrained from making any public statements.
Palak appeared in court wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, with handcuffs on. Upon entering the courtroom, he made an emotional gesture upon seeing his family members, who were waiting outside the courtroom.
The two murder cases, filed at Jatrabari Police Station, prompted the police to seek official arrest orders for Palak and eight other high-profile figures from the former Awami League government.
Those named in the arrest petition include former Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister Salman F Rahman, former Law Minister Anisul Huq, former Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, former Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shahidul Haque, former Secretary Jahangir Alam, former MP Kazi Monirul Islam Manu, and former Jatrabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Hasan.
Following the hearing, the court granted the police request to officially show them as arrested in the cases. All nine individuals were subsequently sent back to prison.
Palak had previously been arrested on August 15 from a residence in the Nikunja area under Khilkhet Police Station while in hiding. He was later remanded and interrogated in connection with several other related cases.
These developments come amid heightened legal and political fallout from the July uprising, which led to widespread arrests and multiple criminal investigations involving former government officials.
