Confession of accused could not be recorded

Confessional statement of Md. Hasan alias Army Hasan, an accused in Banshkhali carnage, could not be recorded, as he was produced before the magistrate's court at Banshkhali at late hours yesterday.

Hasan, one of the five persons arrested so far in connection with the attack in which eleven people were burnt alive at Sadhanpur Shilpara on the night of November 18, was taken to Banshkhali police custody from the city at around 1.20pm.

But, it took long three hours to produce the accused before the court of Magistrate Khalilur Rahman, a five-minute walk from Banshkhali police station.

As Hasan was produced before the court at 4:20pm, the confessional statement under section 164 could not be recorded, sources said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the magistrate recorded the confessional statement of Mahbubur Rashid, another prime accused in the attack.

Meanwhile, Aminul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of neighbouring Kalipur Union Parishad and Banshkhali upazila BNP general secretary, denied his involvement in the attack.

At a press conference at Banshkhali Press Club yesterday, Aminul, also a cousin of State Minister for Environment and Forest and local MP Zafrul Islam Chowdhury, protested the newspaper reports indicating his involvement in the barbaric incident.

He also claimed to have helped in arresting and identifying two accused, Nasiruddin Tota alias Totaiya and Mahbubur Rashid.