The trial of three top militant leaders awaits government approval.
The three leaders are Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Jasimuddin Rahmani, JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) chief Maulana Saidur Rahman and chief coordinator of Hizb ut-Tahrir Mohiuddin Ahmed.
Three separate cases were filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 against them.
Jasimuddin Rahmani and Maulana Saidur Rahman are in prison but Mohiuddin Ahmed is out on bail.
As per the anti-terrorism act, the court cannot take any complaints into cognizance without government’s permission.
Chief public prosecutor of Dhaka metropolitan session judge court, Abdullah Abu has said that letters have been sent several times to the law ministry seeking approval to start the trial.
However, they have not heard from them in over two years, he added.
Another public prosecutor of the court, Tapash Kumar Pal, told Prothom Alo that a letter has been sent to the law secretary from the court.
The law ministry has to forward the letter to the home ministry as per rules, he added.
Law minister Anisul Haque told Prothom Alo he will contact the home ministry in this regard.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told Prothom Alo that his ministry has not received any letter as yet.
Maulana Saidur Rahman’s case: Charges were filed at Kadamtali police station in the capital against Maulana Saidur Rahman with two other JMB men for terrorism on 25 May 2010.
The charge sheet was submitted to the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court on 7 August 2010 and the court took the complaint into cognizance.
The trial started at the Dhaka special judge court-6 on 16 January 2011.
However, on 8 September 2015, the court passed an order saying the documents of this case have to be returned to Dhaka metropolitan court for government approval.
The trial has been stuck since then.
Sources at the court said Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court sent a letter on 28 March, 2016 to the law ministry for government approval.
Jasimuddin Rahmani case: Jasimuddin Rahmani was arrested on 12 August 2013 in connection with the murder of blogger Rajib Haider and is in jail since then. He has already been sentenced to five years of jail by the court.
According to police documents, a case was filed with Mohammadpur police station against banned Islamic militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team’s chief Jasimuddin Rahmani along with 10 others back on 24 August 2013. After completing investigations, inspector of the police’s detective branch (DB) Mohammad Abdul Latif Sheikh submitted his charge sheet to the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court on 8 September 2014. The case was sent to the Dhaka metropolitan session judge court on 26 October the same year, but remains unaddressed. The court issued its first letter to the government for approval on 23 November 2014. Two more letters have been issued, the last one on 28 March 2016. The government is yet to respond. The court has set 11 dates till now for the hearing.
The accused only came to the court and went back. Four of the accused, Junnun Sikdar, Kazi Rezwan, Naimul Hasan, and Zahidur Rahman got bail and are now fugitives.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, the chief coordinator of Hizbut Tahrir, another banned Islamic militant group, was arrested on 10 April 2010. A case was filed against him under the anti-terrorism act in 2010. He got bail on 3 May 2011. Next year he was freed from jail. Police submitted the investigation report on 9 February 2013 against Mohiuddin Ahmed and six others. The case file was sent to Dhaka metropolitan session judge on 21 April in the same year. The court issued its first to the government at that time, and issued the third letter on 28 March.
Mohiuddin Ahmed is a former professor at Dhaka University, and in on leave now. He is living in an apartment allotted for university teachers. He told Prothom Alo he is not associated with Hizbut Tahrir. Bangladesh Supreme Court’s lawyer Shahdin Malik said, the government lacks the ability to deal with such cases, which is really demoralising.
Acting president of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir said the government should set up a special tribunal in order to deal with such cases as soon as possible.
Maulana Saidur Rahman: Maulana Saidur Rahman, prime leader of JMB, arrested on 25 May 2010. The charge sheet against him was issued on 7 August 2010, and the relevant letter issued twice for approval.
Jasimuddin Rahmani: Chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team, arrested 12 August 2013, charge sheet issued on 8 September 2014, is serving five years of jail in other cases.
Mohiuddin Ahmed: Mohiuddin Ahmed is the chief coordinator of Hizbut Tahrir, arrested on 20 April 2010, on bail now; charge sheet 9 February, 2013, letter issued thrice to the government.
Source: Prothom Alo
