NN Online:
Tureen Afroz, a former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), broke down in tears inside a Dhaka courtroom on Wednesday, moments before a hearing on a police petition to formally arrest her in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The hearing was held at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, following her arrest during a raid on a house in Uttara on April 7.
On April 8, Afroz was remanded for four days in connection with an alleged attempt to murder a student named Abdul Jabbar during last year’s Anti-Discrimination Student Movement protests. Once the remand concluded, she was sent to jail on April 12.
Subsequently, on April 21, police arrested her in another case related to the shooting death of Anwar Hossain Patwari in Mirpur during the July-August protests. A separate petition filed by Sub-Inspector Sajib Hasan of Uttara West Police Station sought to show her arrested in a third case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The court scheduled April 23 for that hearing.
Afroz was brought to court under heavy security, wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest. Initially appearing composed, she later broke down in tears after speaking with former police chief Shahidul Haque and politician Hasanul Haq Inu. They, along with Tanvir Hasan Saikat, a former Chhatra League leader, were seen consoling her.
The hearing began with a separate petition to show former Dhaka North mayor Atiqul Islam arrested in two cases also filed with Uttara West Police. The court then moved on to Afroz’s case.
During the hearing, her lawyer Mohammad Selim alleged that she had been tortured in custody and requested that she be allowed to speak. With the judge’s permission, Afroz addressed the court:
“I respect the law. I demand justice for what has been done to my legs. I’ve never held a political position—I only performed my professional duties. I am unwell. I cannot walk. I beg for justice.”
Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi objected to her statement, accusing her of misleading the court and creating unnecessary panic. In response, Afroz showed the judge what she claimed were injury marks on her legs, allegedly caused by custodial abuse.
Following the hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman granted the police plea to formally show her arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act. She was then returned to jail under police guard and made no further comment.
According to the police, a laptop and mobile phone were seized from Afroz during her arrest. A forensic review of her Telegram account reportedly linked her as an admin or member of multiple groups, including “From Chattogram to Bangabandhu,” “Dhanmondi 32,” and “Bangabandhu Reserve Force (Gopalganj).”
