Ex-Addl IGP Iqbal Bahar lands in jail

A Dhaka court on Saturday ordered the imprisonment of former Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Iqbal Bahar in connection with the murder case of Shahinur Begum, a hawker from Jatrabari Thana.

Police produced Iqbal Bahar before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) court, seeking custody of the former senior officer until the completion of the investigation. 

Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana, on behalf of the CMM, granted the request and directed that Iqbal Bahar be sent to jail.

Iqbal Bahar was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) from the Baily Road area on Friday evening. He retired from the police force in 2019, holding the position of Additional IGP (Telecom).

According to the case details, Shahinur Begum was shot on July 22 while supplying drinking water to protesters involved in the anti-discrimination students’ movement in the Jatrabari Kajla area. She was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition but succumbed to her injuries on August 31.

Habeja Akhter, the victim’s daughter, filed a case on November 14 last year at Jatrabari Thana, naming 297 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as accused. Iqbal Bahar was listed as accused number 26 in the case.

HKJ