A case has been filed against 14 officials and employees of the July Shaheed Memorial Foundation on allegations of demanding money, beating, torturing and attempting to kill a person injured during the July uprising after promising to provide him with a government benefit cheque.
July uprising participant Gias Uddin filed the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam on Tuesday.
Plaintiff’s lawyer Yamin Mia said the court recorded Gias’s statement and ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the allegations.
The accused are the foundation’s Senior Verification Officer Iftekhar Hossain, Executive Member Sabrina Afroz Sebanti, Saidur Rahman Shahid, Mehedi Hasan Prince, Sagar, Afzalu Rahman Sayem, Harun Or Rashid, Kamrul Hossain, Alif, Zahid, Momenuzzaman Dipu, Sajjad Mostafa, Fatema Afrin Payel and Yasin Mollah.
According to the case statement, Gias Uddin went to the July Shaheed Memorial Foundation to collect a cheque as a July uprising participant. When he did not receive it, he went to the National Citizens Party (NCP) office in Banglamotor and informed the foundation’s General Secretary Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Tasnim Jara and Snigdha.
They allegedly assured him that he would receive the cheque if he went to the foundation. However, the accused allegedly kept delaying the matter, telling him to return another day.
On May 3 last year, Gias went to the foundation’s office under Ramna Model police station to collect the cheque. The accused allegedly told him that he would have to pay 50% of the cheque’s value, or Tk1.5 lakh, to cash it at a bank.
When Gias refused to pay, the accused allegedly took him to a room. According to the case statement, Prince and Sagar held him while Shahid and Sayem punched and kicked him. He was allegedly thrown against a wall and struck on the head with a rod, causing him to lose consciousness.
The statement said the accused later helped him regain consciousness, after which he noticed blood coming from his body. When he cried for help, Shahid, Sayem and Kamrul allegedly beat him and tried to force him out of the room.
Harun and Kamrul later allegedly kept him near the foundation’s elevator. Gias’s son subsequently took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Gias later went to the police station to file a case but alleged that police officials delayed taking it. He was eventually advised to file a case with the court.
