Prosecutor links ex-general Masud to ‘breaking Tarique Rahman’s hip’ during one eleven
Staff Correspondent
A Dhaka court has heard that retired three-star Army general Masud Uddin Chowdhury was among those who “hung and beat” Tarique Rahman, “breaking his hip”.
The allegations from the 2007 “one-eleven” era resurfaced when Masud was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Monirul Islam on Monday with a fresh remand petition in connection with the murder of Delwar Hossain during the July Uprising.
During the hearing, state prosecutor Mohammad Shamsuddoha Sumon referred to events surrounding 2007 political crisis, alleging Masud was one of the key figures behind the abuse of Tarique, who is currently the prime minister.
Standing in the dock, Masud rejected the claim, calling it: “Completely false”.
Masud, a former major general who later rose to the rank of lieutenant general after the 2007 political transition, played a central role in coordinating joint forces operations under the military-backed caretaker government.
He was first arrested on Mar 23 at his Baridhara DOHS residence in Dhaka. He was then shown arrested in a case involving alleged embezzlement and human trafficking.
Since then, he has been remanded multiple times in different cases, including the murder of Delwar in Mirpur.
According to investigators, Masud fell ill during earlier questioning and was hospitalised on Apr 12.
After being discharged on Apr 27, police sought fresh a remand, saying his interrogation had yielded important leads that required verification.
Defence lawyer Touhidul Islam Sajib opposed the plea, arguing that the 72-year-old accused was seriously ill and had already been remanded multiple times without new developments.
He also sought bail on humanitarian grounds.
The prosecution, however, insisted further questioning was necessary. The prosecution had sought to question the former Army officer in their custody for a week.
The court granted police three days to question Masud.
The current case stems from the death of Delwar, who was shot on Jul 19, 2024, during the student-led protests in Mirpur-10.
According to the case filed by Delwar’s wife, the victim died two days later at a private hospital.
Masud is accused of being among those who ordered the crackdown on protesters.
