DHAKA, Aug 13, 2026 A Dhaka court has fixed September 1 for hearing on the framing of charges against 34 people, including ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a case filed over the alleged shooting death of truck driver Md Hossain during the July 2024 movement in the capital's Mohammadpur area
On Thursday, however, several accused persons were not brought to court from prison. The prosecution subsequently sought additional time to conduct the hearing.
The court accepted the application and postponed the proceedings.
The next hearing on charge framing has therefore been fixed for September 1.
The adjournment is procedural in nature. It does not determine the guilt or innocence of any accused person. Those questions will be addressed through the judicial process if the court ultimately frames charges and the case proceeds to trial.
Death of Truck Driver Md Hossain
The case originates from the death of truck driver Md Hossain, who was killed by gunfire in the capital's Mohammadpur area during the 2024 anti discrimination student movement.
According to the case documents, Hossain was killed by gunfire in the Chand Udyan area of Mohammadpur on July 19, 2024, while the movement was underway.
Hossain worked as a truck driver. On the day of the incident, he had left his truck at Gabtoli and was returning home when he was caught in the violence.
The circumstances surrounding his death subsequently became the basis for a criminal complaint filed by his mother, Reena Begum.
Murder Case Filed by Hossain's Mother
On August 31, 2024, Hossain's mother Reena Begum filed the murder case with Mohammadpur Police Station.
The filing came weeks after the death and formally brought the allegation into the criminal justice system. The case subsequently underwent a police investigation, during which investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the alleged involvement of multiple individuals.
The prosecution case now encompasses 34 accused people, including senior political figures from the previous government and individuals associated with the then ruling political establishment.
The breadth of the accused list makes the case particularly significant. It places an individual death during a period of mass political unrest within a wider legal inquiry concerning alleged responsibility for violence.
Charge Sheet Submitted in 2025
Following the investigation, Mohammadpur Police Station Sub Inspector Akramuzzaman, the investigating officer in the case, submitted a charge sheet against Sheikh Hasina and 34 others to the court on November 23, 2025.
The submission of the charge sheet represented the culmination of the police investigation and moved the case into the next phase of judicial scrutiny.
The court must now consider the allegations and determine whether charges should formally be framed against the accused. If charges are framed, the case would proceed toward trial, where evidence and testimony would be examined according to law.
The process is therefore likely to involve multiple stages before any final determination is reached.
Former Ministers and Senior Political Figures Named
The accused list includes several prominent figures associated with the former government.
Alongside Sheikh Hasina, the case names former Awami League general secretary and former bridge minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud and former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak.
The list also includes senior figures associated with the then politically influential Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Among them are Saddam Hossain, former president of the banned Chhatra League, and Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, former general secretary of the organisation.
The case also names Asif Ahmed, Tarekuzzaman Rajib, Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and Nur Mohammad Sentu.
According to the case information, several of these accused are currently absconding.
Accused at Different Stages of Proceedings
The accused are not all in the same legal position.
Former state minister Junaid Ahmed Palak and former parliament member Sadek Khan are among four accused currently in jail. Ten others are out on bail.
Meanwhile, several of the other accused have been described as fugitives in the case.
These different statuses are relevant to the progression of the proceedings. The presence or absence of accused persons can affect the scheduling of hearings, as demonstrated by the court's decision to postpone today's charge framing hearing after some of the accused were not produced from custody.
The September 1 hearing will therefore be closely watched as the court considers whether the case is ready to move into the formal trial stage.
A Case Emerging From the July 2024 Violence
The Mohammadpur case is rooted in one of the most turbulent periods in Bangladesh's recent political history. The July 2024 movement saw widespread demonstrations, clashes and violence in several parts of the country.
Hossain's death occurred on July 19, when the movement had already entered a particularly volatile phase.
His status as a truck driver also highlights how violence during periods of political unrest can affect people who are not directly participating in political activity. According to the case narrative, Hossain was simply returning home after leaving his truck in Gabtoli.
The subsequent legal proceedings seek to establish responsibility for his death through the formal mechanisms of the criminal justice system.
What Charge Framing Could Mean
The September 1 hearing will be significant because charge framing determines whether the allegations against the accused will proceed to trial.
At this stage, the court does not conduct a full trial or make a final determination of guilt. Instead, it considers the materials presented in the case and decides whether there are sufficient grounds to formally proceed against the accused.
If charges are framed, the case can move forward to the evidence stage. Witnesses may then be examined, documents and other evidence may be presented, and the accused will have opportunities to contest the prosecution case.
That distinction is important in a case involving numerous high profile political figures.
Judicial Process Ahead
The next hearing will also demonstrate how the court manages a complex case involving accused persons who are incarcerated, on bail and allegedly absconding.
The court has now fixed September 1 for the charge framing hearing against Sheikh Hasina and the other 34 accused.
Until the court reaches a final verdict, the allegations remain allegations. The eventual outcome will depend on the evidence presented during the judicial process and the court's assessment of that evidence.
For the family of Md Hossain, however, the case represents the continuation of a legal effort that began with the filing of the murder complaint in August 2024. More than two years after the truck driver's death, the proceedings have reached a stage where the court is preparing to determine whether formal charges should be framed.
The September 1 hearing could therefore become a consequential milestone in a case that links the death of an ordinary truck driver with the broader violence surrounding the 2024 movement and the subsequent political and judicial reckoning.
