The defence had pleaded for the release of SQ Chowdhury from the case under section 241 of the Code of Criminal Procedure
A Chittagong court yesterday fixed August 3 for hearing on charge framing in two cases against war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with arson and vandalism on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in the district’s Sitakunda upazila in 2010.
Accepting the time petition of the defence, acting district and sessions judge Hla Mong passed the order yesterday in the presence of SQ Chowdhury, said sources in the court.
Chittagong district Public Prosecutor Abul Hashem said the defence had pleaded for the release of SQ Chowdhury from the case under section 241 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
“The prosecution also submitted a discontent petition in 2011 over the charge sheet while the defence sought time for hearing on the discontent petition,” he said.
SQ Chowdhury, who was awarded death penalty on October 1 last year for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, was brought to Chittagong Central Jail on June 12 night from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur.
He was brought to the court under tight security while additional police forces were also deployed on the court building complex yesterday.
On November 7, 2010, miscreants vandalised and set fire to vehicles on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Banshbaria and Salimpur areas of Sitakunda, hearing the rumour of SQ Chowdhury’s arrest and protesting the government-imposed restriction on BNP’s holding rally at Paltan in Dhaka.
Sub-Inspector Golam Faruk Bhuiyan of Sitakunda police station lodged two cases centring the violence on that day when four persons were arrested.
Later, two arrestees confessed that they had conducted the violence on SQ Chowdhury’s order.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
