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Md Afzal Naser, former director of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), has been arrested by police detectives in connection with a case against the military intelligence agency’s former chief, retired lieutenant general Sheikh Mamun Khaled.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) arrested Naser from his Mirpur DOHS residence in Dhaka early on Monday morning, reports bdnews24.com.
DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said, "We have arrested him (Afzal Naser) in connection with the same case in which former DGFI director general Mamun Khaled was arrested from Mirpur."
He also said a remand application has been filed in court to question Afzal in DB custody.
Officials involved in the investigation of the Detective Police say Afzal Naser was arrested based on information provided by former army officer retired lieutenant general Masud Uddin Chowdhury and former director general of the DGFI retired lieutenant general Mamun Khaled.
A man named Delwar Hossain was killed in Mirpur during the 2024 July Uprising. Mamun was remanded to DB custody for five days for questioning in that case.
According to the remand plea, on Jul 19, 2024, between 500 and 700 Awami League activists allegedly attacked a student-led protest at Mirpur-10 roundabout using crude weapons.
Acting on Mamun’s orders, gunfire was opened indiscriminately on protesters, it added.
The petition said Delwar was critically injured in the shooting and died on Jul 21 at a private hospital in Shyamoli.
The investigator told the court that “sufficient evidence” had been found indicating Mamun’s involvement.
Interrogation is needed to uncover the full sequence of events, arrest other named suspects, identify unknown suspects, and recover weapons used in the attack, he added.
A case was filed over the death and Khaled arrested in connection with the case. Now police have also arrested Afzal over the same case.
Afzal hails from Noakhali’s Senbagh Upazila. He joined the Army on Jul 4, 1984, and served as director at the DGFI from March 2006 to March 2008.
Many Bangladeshi politicians and businessmen, including then BNP chief Khaleda Zia and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, were arrested on corruption charges under the military-backed caretaker government’s rule.
Current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was also arrested at the time. There are allegations that he was physically and mentally tortured while in custody.
Alongside Tarique, BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo, former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and businessman Mosaddek Ali Falu were also allegedly tortured in custody.