The court is still hearing depositions of witnesses in the Aug 21 grenade attack case, five years after the trial process began.
Statements of 71 witnesses out of a total 491 have so far been recorded.
The grenade attack was made on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004 where the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was the chief guest.
Asked when the trial might complete, state counsel Syed Rezaur Rahman told bdnews24.com: “State lawyers are sincere about completing the trial. The way statements of witnesses are being recorded, the trial process will be complete quickly.”
Public Prosecutor at Dhaka Speedy Tribunal-1 Abu Abdullah Bhuiyan is also optimistic about a quick end to the trial.
The process started in 2008 during the caretaker government following allegations that preceding BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami government diverted the course of investigation.
After several changes of investigation officers, sixth Investigation Officer, CID’s Fazlul Kabir, submitted the charge-sheet accusing 22 in June 2008.
Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahhar Akand conducted more investigation during the current Awami League government and added names of 30 more people, including then the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, to the list of accused.The murder case filed over the gruesome attack was shifted to the Speedy Trial Tribunal and again sent back to the Sessions Judge’s court as the fast-track tribunal failed to complete the trial in stipulated 135-day time.
After addition of the new accused in the supplementary charge-sheet, the case was again transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal.
Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the tribunal, set up at Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka, recently recorded the deposition of the 72nd witness, former Deputy Director of RAB Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, and fixed Aug 26 for the next hearing.
Before Rahman, the deposition of Deputy Minister of previous BNP government Abdus Salam Pintu’s bodyguard police Constable Ahsan Habib was recorded. Pintu is now behind bars in the case.
Witness Mizanur Rahman, a Navy Lieutenant Commander working for Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), said the grenade attack plan was finalised at meetings on Aug 18 and 19 at Pintu’s residence where Pintu’s brother Maulana Tajuddin and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Bangladesh (HuJI) leader Mufti Abdul Hannan and Abu Taher were present.
He said Mufti Hannan divulged during questinoning that the then State Minister for Home, Lutfozzaman Babar, also turned up in the meetings.
Mohila Awami League President Ivy Rahman and 23 others were killed and many injured in the grisly attack on the rally in front of the Awami League headquarters.
Awami League alleged that the BNP-Jamaat government diverted the course of investigation. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police had continued investigation accusing a vagabond Joj Mia. Three investigation officers (IO) have been sued for the attempt.
Apart from Tarique, the 30 new accused in the supplementary charge-sheet include Khaleda’s former Political Secretary Harris Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, former BNP MP Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, former State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar, Khaeda’s nephew Saiful Islam Duke, former NSI Directors General Rezzakul Haider and Abdur Rahim, former Inspectors General of Police Mohammad Ashraful Huda, Shahidul Haque and Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury.
Nineteen accused, including Tajuddin, have remained at large.
Source: Bd news24