UPDATE - Former Premier Hasina of Bangladesh named in murder case over police firing incident

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, ADDS BACKGROUND

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been named as a suspect in a murder case filed on Tuesday, related to the killing of a grocery store owner in a police firing incident on July 19.

This is the first murder case filed against Hasina, who fled to neighboring India on August 5.

The case was lodged by Amir Hamza Shatil, a resident of the Mohammadpur neighborhood in the capital Dhaka, with the Court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury.

Hasina, along with six others, is accused of the murder of grocery store owner Abu Sayeed, who was killed during the police firing in the Mohammadpur area on July 19.

The complainant stated that the victim was not among his close acquaintances and that he filed the case voluntarily.

The case comes as students continue to protest in Dhaka, demanding that the transitional government bring Hasina back and prosecute her for the deaths of hundreds of people in recent student-led protests.

Hasina fled to India following weeks of anti-government protests that resulted in at least 580 deaths since July 16, including 326 killings between August 4 and 6.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, was sworn in on Thursday to lead a 17-member transitional administration in Bangladesh.

In addition to Hasina, the case names former ruling party Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former senior police official from the Detective Branch Harun Or Rashid, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, and former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarker.

Several unnamed individuals and police officials are also included in the case.

The complaint alleges that students were holding a peaceful procession in the Basila area of Mohammadpur on July 19 when police fired indiscriminately. Local grocer Abu Saeed was shot in the head while crossing the road and died at the scene.

The complainant also claimed that former Premier Hasina had repeatedly ordered a harsh crackdown on the quota reform movement.