Ex-agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque placed on two-day remand

A Dhaka court today placed former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque on a two-day remand in a case filed over the death of a trader, Abdul Wadud, in Dhaka’s New Market area during quota reform protests on July 19.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque passed the order after Investigation Officer (IO) Md Jahangir Arip, an inspector of Detective Branch of Police, produced him with a seven-day remand prayer.
Razzaque, an Awami League presidium member, was shown arrested in the case after IO Murad submitted an application in this regard, a sub-inspector working at the court told The Daily Star.
Claiming himself innocent, Razzaque told the court that he was not involved with the case. Moreover, he has been suffering from different ailments, including heart disease. So, he sought justice from the court.
In the remand prayer, the IO said Razzaque was directly involved with the incident and needs to be remanded to find vital clues.
The defence submitted an application seeking bail and cancellation of the remand prayer on the grounds that the accused was implicated in the case just for harassment.
The court, however, dismissed the defence pleas and placed him on remand for questioning about the murder.
Abdul Wadud was shot dead in New Market area around 5:00pm on July 19 while going to his residence.
Victim Wadud’s brother-in-law Abdur Rahman on August 21 filed the case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 129 others.
Police arrested Razzaque from Eskaton area yesterday evening.
Razzaque was first elected as a member of parliament from Tangail-1 in 2001.
With Hasina in power, he served as the minister of food and disaster management from 2009 to 2012 and then as minister of food until 2013.
After the 2014 national election, he served as the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on finance.
Razzaque was then the minister of agriculture from 2018 to 2023.