A Dhaka court on Friday sent two men to jail in connection with the killing of BNP leader Abul Bashar, who was hacked to death in the capital's Adabar area following a dispute over celebrations of Brazil's victory in the FIFA World Cup.
Earlier in the day, Shoaib Hossain Soaib and Md Kabir were produced before the court as the accused in the case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dilruba Afroz Tithi rejected the duo's bail petitions and ordered them to be sent to jail.
Earlier, Adabar Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Hafizur Rahman produced the duo before the court, seeking to show them arrested under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and to keep them in jail.
In the application, the investigation officer said preliminary evidence suggested the two suspects were involved in the killing. He said a detailed investigation was underway and that they would be formally shown arrested in the murder case if sufficient evidence was found linking them to the crime. The officer also sought their continued detention until the investigation, verification of their identities and addresses, and receipt of the complainant's formal case statement were completed.
Defence counsel Md Mahbub Alam sought bail for the accused, while the prosecution opposed the plea. After hearing both sides, the court rejected the bail applications and ordered the suspects to be sent to jail.
Prosecution Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam said the court also directed police to submit an investigation report within the next five working days. The bail issue will be heard again after the report is filed.
The two suspects were detained from Nabodoy Housing in Adabar on Thursday.
According to investigators, the attack stemmed from a longstanding dispute over support for Brazil's football team. At around 8:30pm on July 1, assailants hacked Adabar Thana BNP president Md Saddam and general secretary Abul Bashar Badsha during a mediation meeting at Nabodoy Bazar in Adabar, leaving both critically injured.
The two were rushed to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. As Abul Bashar's condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead at around 11:30pm. Saddam is undergoing treatment at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
