Ex-DGFI director Afzal Naser granted fresh 4-day remand in Makbul murder case

A Dhaka court today (8 April) placed former director of the DGFI sacked Lieutenant Colonel Md Afzal Naser on a four-day remand in a case lodged over the killing of BNP activist Makbul in 2022.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah passed the order as police produced Naser before the court after the end of his three-day remand in the case and pleaded to place him on a seven-day fresh remand.

Defence counsel Helal Uddin sought cancellation of the remand and bail, while Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi opposed it, arguing the accused had been an ally and beneficiary of the previous regime and had not provided accurate information during the earlier remand.

According to the remand petition, evidence suggests his involvement, necessitating further custodial interrogation.

The defence argued there were no substantiated allegations against the accused and that further questioning could be conducted at the jail.

After the hearing, the court granted a four-day remand.

According to the case statement, BNP leaders and activists as part of their party program on 10 December 2022, began to gather in the capital.

During the programme, police and Awami League men created a ruckus in front of the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan on 7 December, entering the office, charging with batons, and opening fire on BNP members, critically injuring Makbul, the statement added.

Makbul later died from his injuries at the hospital.

The case was filed on September 30, 2024.

Earlier, Md Afzal Naser was detained on 30 March by a team of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from a house in the Mirpur DOHS area of the city