Judge transferred
The judge of a special court of Dhaka dealing with the sensational Maj Gen Manzoor murder case has been transferred, creating uncertainty over the verdict delivery on February 10.
Maj Gen Abul Manzoor, commander of Sector-8 during the Liberation War, was killed at Chittagong Cantonment on June 1, 1981.
The then army chief HM Ershad, also Jatiyo Party chairman and a special envoy to the prime minister, is the main accused in the case.
Judge Hosne Ara Akhter of the first Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka was replaced by Judge Khandaker Hasan Mahmud Firoz on Sunday, bench clerk Kalyan Mitra of the court concerned said on Tuesday.
Concluding the hearing of closing arguments from the prosecution, Judge Hosne Ara Akhter on January 22 fixed February 10 for delivering the verdict in the case, nearly 33 years into the killing of the war hero.
Court sources said the verdict in the case is unlikely to be pronounced on February 10 as arguments, cross-examinations and hearing might take place anew with the new judge.
Contacted, Ershad’s lawyer Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said the judge concerned will decide whether he hears the arguments afresh.
After around 14 years into the killing, Manzoor’s elder brother Abul Mansur Ahmed filed a case with Panchlaish Police Station in Chittagong on February 28, 1995. The case was later transferred to Dhaka for security reasons.
The other accused in the case are Maj (retd) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt Col (retd) Mostafa Kamaluddin Bhuiyan, Maj Gen (retd) Abdul Latif and Lt Col (retd) Shamsur Rahman Shamser.
On June 27, 1995, Criminal Investigation Department pressed charges against Ershad and the four others.
Ershad managed to secure an order from the then acting president to bring Manzoor from the police custody to the cantonment on a false promise to hold court martial for him, said the charge-sheet.
However, Ershad ordered Brig Aziz and Brig Latif to kill Manzoor while he was being taken to the cantonment.
Accordingly, the four other accused shot Manzoor to death in front of the Firing Range of Chittagong Cantonment on June 1, 1981.
Source: UNB Connect
