Rafat Majumdar Rinku, a drama director, has been sent to jail following his arrest by police in connection with the murder of a student named Naimur Rahman during the anti-discrimination student movement in Gulshan, Dhaka.
On Tuesday, the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector (SI) Raju Ahmed of Gulshan police station, presented Rinku in court and requested that he be held in custody.
Rinku’s lawyer filed for bail, however, the prosecution opposed the request.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Dhaka's Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanaullah ordered Rinku to be sent to jail.
The court also scheduled a bail hearing for Thursday, to be held in the presence of the investigating officer.
During the proceedings, Rafat Majumdar Rinku was brought before the court, where several of his colleagues, including Chayanika Chowdhury, Arash Khan, and Dipankar Deepak, were in attendance.
Earlier, on Monday, the police arrested Rafat Majumdar Rinku, but details regarding the reasons for his arrest were not immediately clear.
Reports indicate that on July 19, during the anti-discrimination student movement, Naimur Rahman was shot dead in front of Subashtu Nagar Valley in Shahjadpur, Gulshan.
Following this incident, his father, Khalilur Rahman, filed a case against 64 individuals, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana. Rafat Majumdar Rinku has been implicated in this case.
In addition to his directing work, Rinku has also been involved in politics, having previously served as the vice-president of the Dhaka North City Student League.
The news of Rafat Majumdar Rinku's arrest has elicited surprise and outrage among the theater community.
He had previously faced criticism for a controversial play titled "Rupantor."
Released during Eid-ul-Fitr, "Rupantor" attracted backlash over its portrayal of transgender issues, particularly after popular television actor Farhan Ahmed Jovan's involvement in the play drew ire from netizens.
Calls for a boycott against him circulated on social media, and the play was subsequently removed from the YouTube channel Ekanon Media on April 16. At that time, Rafat Majumdar Rinku said: "The audience may not have understood the concept of the play."
Rafat Majumdar Rinku has received several awards, including the Deepto TV Award and the Meril Prothom Alo Award, for his contributions to drama.