A Dhaka court has ordered Supreme Court lawyer Mohiuddin Ahmed, widely known as Rudra, to be sent to jail in connection with a 2023 attempted murder case involving an activist of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal. Prior to his formal arrest, Jubo Dal leader Rabiul Islam Nayan and a group of his associates detained the lawyer in the capital’s Shantinagar area before handing him over to Paltan Model Police Station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ishrat Jahan issued the detention order on Saturday afternoon, 14 November, after rejecting a bail petition submitted on the accused’s behalf. State prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the court’s decision following the hearing.
During Saturday’s proceedings, the case’s investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md. Nazmul Islam of Paltan Model Police Station, produced Rudra before the magistrate and petitioned for his confinement in jail pending further inquiry. A team of defence lawyers, led by Md. Ataur Rahman Khan Ruku, argued for his release on bail. After weighing submissions from both sides, the magistrate turned down the bail plea and directed authorities to send him to prison.
In the police petition submitted to the court, Rudra was identified as a member of the Ain Sahayak Parishad. The document also noted that he had previously served as a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League at the University of Chittagong during the 2004–2005 academic session.
The charges stem from violent political clashes in the capital on 28 October 2023. According to the First Information Report (FIR), roughly 200 to 250 leaders and activists of the Swechchhasebak Dal—the volunteer wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—were marching towards Paltan from Kakrail’s Nightingale intersection via the road in front of Hotel 71. The plaintiff, Md. Bellal, was leading the procession. Armed activists of the Awami League allegedly intercepted the marchers using firearms and locally made weapons, launching an attack with sticks and sharp instruments.
Chaos quickly engulfed the area as police fired sound grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas shells. Overcome by tear gas smoke, Bellal collapsed onto the road. While he lay incapacitated, assailants allegedly hacked him on the head and several other parts of his body with sharp weapons in an attempt to kill him. Bystanders later rescued the critically injured activist and took him to a hospital for treatment.
Following a prolonged recovery, Bellal lodged an attempted murder case at Paltan Police Station on 8 May 2025. The FIR named 123 individuals—including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—alongside 100 to 150 unidentified suspects. Police subsequently arrested Rudra as a suspected accused in the ongoing investigation.
Seeking his continued detention, the investigating officer informed the court that an examination of Rudra’s mobile phone data revealed evidence linking him to acts of sabotage, hartal programmes, crude bomb explosions, arson attacks on public transport, and anti-state activities aimed at destabilising the country. Police also reported finding records of his involvement with banned organisations across various WhatsApp and Facebook groups. Arguing that the accused could abscond if granted bail, the officer stressed that keeping him in custody was essential for a fair investigation and the administration of justice.
