Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury lands in jail

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former Information Advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a journalists' leader, has been sent to jail in a murder case of a madrasa student Md. Arif in 2024.

Arif was killed in Jatrabari during the July mass uprising two years ago. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque gave the order on Thursday.

The investigating officer of the case and SI Mohammad Amir Hossain of Jatrabari Police Station had applied to keep Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury in jail. He was later brought to court under police escort. At that time, he was wearing a helmet on his head, a bulletproof jacket, and handcuffs. The remand hearing then began.

Prosecution lawyer Omar Faruk Faruki presented arguments for keeping him in jail.

However, the defense lawyer, Chowdhury Md. Galib Rakib, did not file a bail application. He said, "We did not seek bail. The accused is unwell. He is serving as the chairman of a television channel. We have applied for him to be given a division in jail."

The court then ordered to send him to jail. It also directed that arrangements be made regarding the division in accordance with jail regulations.

Police detained Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury from the office of private television channel DBC News in Mohakhali, Dhaka, on Wednesday afternoon. Later, after questioning, it was stated around 11 pm that he had been shown arrested in a murder case at Jatrabari Police Station.

According to the case details, on July 19, 2024, Arif (18) participated in the anti-discrimination movement on Boubazar Road in the Jatrabari area. He was a first-year Alim student at a Fazil Madrasa. During the movement, he was shot in the eye by gunfire from Awami League leaders. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment, where the attending doctor declared him dead. On August 25 of that year, Arif's father, Md. Yusuf, filed a case with Jatrabari Police Station naming Sheikh Hasina and 233 others.

SI Mohammad Amir Hossain said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury is the 53rd accused in that case.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former editor of Bangladesh Observer, was appointed Information Advisor to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in July 2013. Earlier, he had received the Awami League nomination for the Feni Sadar constituency in the 2008 national parliamentary election but was defeated.

During his long journalism career, he led various journalists' organizations in the country. He was at the helm of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ). He also served as chairman of the board of directors of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).