Former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury sent to jail in July Uprising case

A Dhaka court has sent former speaker of parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to jail following her arrest in a July Uprising attempted murder case.

The Detective Branch (DB) of police had petitioned for her to be remanded to their custody for interrogation for two days. Shirin’s lawyer had also moved the court for bail.

After the hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana scrapped both petitions and sent Shirin to jail.

Produced at 1:55pm, Shirin was placed in the lockup at the CMM Court in Dhaka.

The police petition stated that the prime suspect in the case, Sheikh Hasina, and the third accused in the case, Shirin, and others were involved in making key state decisions. It was under their direct and indirect orders in their decisions and plans that armed attacks took place. During interrogation, the accused provided her name and address and important information that would help in the case investigation.

The information will assist in the investigation, the application said, adding that it is being verified.

If the suspect is released on bail, there is a risk of her permanently fleeing and obstructing the investigation, the petition said. Therefore, in the interest of a fair and impartial investigation of the case, it is “absolutely necessary” to keep the accused in jail until the investigation process is completed.

According to the case details, a protest was being held near the Azimpur Bus Stand on the afternoon of Jul 18, 2024 during the July Uprising when the protesters were attacked with weapons. A bullet hit Ashraful alias Fahim in the eye. He sought treatment at various hospitals.

Ashraful has named 130 people, including Hasina, and 115-120 unknown others in a case on May 25, 2025.

On Tuesday, around 4:30am, the DB police arrested Shirin from her house on Dhanmondi’s 8/A Road.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the parliament the day after Hasina fled the country.

Although constitutional rules dictate that the speaker remains in office until a successor takes the oath, Shirin opted to quit before that transition.

She originally entered the parliament in 2009 through a reserved seat for women and served as the state minister for women and children affairs before her elevation to the speaker’s chair.

Shirin made history on Apr 30, 2013, when she became the first woman to preside over the legislature.

Her tenure followed that of Abdul Hamid, who vacated the chair after his election to the presidency.

The former speaker held firm control of the parliament for over a decade, securing re-election after the Jan 7 national polls.

Her long run at the helm of the parliament ended on Sept 2, 2024, when she stepped down 27 days after the fall of the Hasina government on Aug 5.