Attempted murder case filed against 53 former secretaries

A case has been filed against 53 former secretaries, accusing them of attempted murder for allegedly indiscriminately firing at protesters during the "Students Against Discrimination" movement. The case claims that these former secretaries acted as "agents of foreign intelligence agencies."

The accused secretaries are labeled as “fascist collaborators, state threats, and corrupt officials.” Among those named is Mohammad Mahbub Hossain, who retired as cabinet secretary last month, along with other high-ranking former officials such as former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, former principal secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, and others.

The case was filed on October 29 in Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court by Mohammad Zaman Hossain Khan, a former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader now involved in BNP politics. A total of 196 people are named in the case, with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the primary accused. Other high-profile individuals accused include Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Sayma Wazed, former Prime Minister's security advisor Major General (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, a former chief justice, and former IGPs, among others. Former opposition leader GM Quader also appears on the list.

The case follows the ousting of the Awami League government on August 5 after a student-led protest. This case marks the first instance of 53 former secretaries being collectively accused. Zaman Hossain Khan alleged that his daughter, Samiya Khan, a 10th grader, was shot by armed individuals during a peaceful protest at East West University, leaving three bullets lodged in her leg.

Zaman claims he tried filing a police report three months later at Badda police station, which advised him to take the matter to court. The CMM court subsequently directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate. Zaman accused the former secretaries of supporting a fascist government to extend its rule, adding that they failed in properly advising the government, which led to controversial elections. He stated he was driven by outrage, not by external provocation.

In addition to former secretaries, the case implicates former ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud, former NHRC chair Kamal Uddin Ahmed, and other senior figures, including former ministers and prominent political and media personalities. Some accused former secretaries, speaking anonymously, acknowledged awareness of the case but criticized it as a precedent for harassment in public administration. Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik also condemned the case as harassment, arguing that it targets officials who have been out of office for years, leaving actual offenders untouched.