The Criminal Investigation Department on Thursday submitted a supplementary charge-sheet against 32 people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s political secretary Harris Chowdhury and Sylhet City Corporation mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, in the murder case of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria. The investigation officer, senior assistant superintendent Meherunnesa Parul of CID, submitted the charge-sheet incorporating the names of 11 more accused in the last supplementary charge-sheet before a local court in the afternoon, reports United News of Bangladesh. The IO also prayed to the court for exempting the three accused Yusuf Bin Sharif, Abu Bakar Abdul Karim and Ahsan Ullah from the previous charge-sheet. Those indicted freshly in the third charge-sheet were Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Harris Chowdhury, Habiganj district BNP general secretary GK Gaus, Sheikh Tajuddin, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai, Mohammad Ali, Badrul, Muhibur Rahman, Kajal and Hafez Yahiya. Five people, including former finance minister Kibria, were killed and 70 others injured in a grenade attack on a public meeting of local Awami League at Baidder Bazar in Habiganj on January 27, 2005. Later Awami League leader Abdul Mazid Khan filed two cases, one for murder and the other under the Explosives Substances Act with the Habiganj Police the following day. Assistant Superintendent of CID Munshi Atique submitted a charge-sheet against 10 BNP leaders and activists on March 19, 2005. On June 20, 2011, CID senior assistant superintendent Mohammad Rafiqul Islam submitted a supplementary charge-sheet incorporating the names of 14 more people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Mufti Hannan, following a naraji petition filed by the plaintiff. Upon an appeal by the complainant, the High Court on May 5, 2006 stayed the proceedings of the cases. Following another appeal by the complainant, the tribunal on May 14, 2006 ordered further investigation into the cases. After further probe, Rafiqul submitted the first supplementary charge-sheet. However, Asma Kibria, widow of the slain minister, filed a petition with a local court expressing no confidence in the investigation. The court then forwarded the case documents along with the petition to the tribunal concerned. Later, the tribunal on January 5, 2012 ordered the CID to carry out further probe into the killing.
Source: Newage
