A Rangpur court imposed a travel ban on 14 individuals, including former high-ranking police officials, in connection with the murder case of Abu Sayed, a student killed during the recent mass movement, a police spokesman said on Thursday.
The order was issued by Rangpur Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Asaduzzaman on Tuesday.
ABM Zakir Hossain, superintendent of police at the Rangpur branch of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) confirmed the information to the FE.
On September 30, PBI Police Superintendent Zakir Hossain, who is leading the investigation, submitted a petition seeking a travel ban for the accused.
Among those banned from leaving the country are: Abdul Baten, former deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Rangpur Range, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, former commissioner of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RMP), Abu Maruf Hossain, deputy police commissioner, Arifuzzaman, assistant commissioner and Imran Hossain, assistant police commissioner.
Moshior Rahman and Asaduzzaman Mondal, professors at the Begum Rokeya University, Sub-Inspector Bibhuti Bhushan, Tajhat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rabiul Islam, several university officials and members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), BCL leaders Pamel Barua (President), Shamim Mahfuz (General Secretary), Dhananjay Kumar Togar (Organising Secretary), BCL member Babul Hossain and university official Rafiqul Hassan, are among those prohibited from travelling abroad.
On July 16, Abu Sayed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, was killed by police gunfire during the recent mass movement in front of the university. He was a student in the English Department, enrolled in the 2019-2020 session, and one of the key coordinators of the recent mass movement.
Following his death, on August 18, Abu Sayed's elder brother, Ramzan Ali, filed a case at the Tajhat Magistrate Court. The case named 17 individuals as accused, along with 30-35 unidentified others.
Abu Sayed became the first martyr of the movement and footage of his death at the hands of the police quickly spread, leading to student protests erupting across the country, which ultimately ousted Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5.
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