Bangladesh Police Arrest Former Speaker on Attempted Murder Charges Amid Political Shift

Former Bangladeshi Parliament Speaker Arrested

On Tuesday, former parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was arrested by police on attempted murder charges. This marks the first detention of a prominent figure from Sheikh Hasina’s toppled government under the newly elected administration.

Chaudhury, who served as Bangladesh’s first female speaker and minister in Hasina’s administration, was apprehended at her relative’s residence and placed in custody. She has denied all allegations, stating that it is absurd to suggest she was involved in an attempted murder, according to her lawyer Shamim Al Sayeed.

The court rejected their bail petition. Chaudhury had not been seen in public since the deadly mass uprising of 2024 forced Hasina from power.

Investigators told the court that Chaudhury played a key role in decision-making and was involved in planning and ordering attacks on unarmed civilians. Police Inspector Mohsin Uddin stated that on July 18, 2024, police along with Awami League activists opened fire on unarmed students and other protesters.

Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, won a landslide election victory in February, succeeding the interim administration that had led the country since the uprising. Sheikh Hasina, a convicted fugitive hiding in India, was also named in the case, straining relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.