Dhaka, April 23 -- As many as 12 high profile people, including ex-speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, ex-deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku and former state-minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, were "hiding in a room inside the National Parliament" from the morning of Aug 5, the day the Awami League government fell, to 2:30am the following day.

Later, the "army rescued them all", former state minister Palak told a court. Palak made the remarks after he was presented at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman for a remand hearing in a case over the murder of Abdul Jabbar during last year's mass uprising.

Palak said, "I'm speaking about the date and time of the incident mentioned in the case. A total of 12 people, includi...