A Chittagong court yesterday acquitted 18 people, including Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin and Awami League lawmaker Nizam Hazari, in an attempt to murder case filed 22 years ago.

District and Sessions Judge Nurul Huda passed the order of acquittal in presence of 15 of the accused.

Three other accused -- Shahnewaj Saki, Sakil Mahmud and Simanta Talukder -- have been absconding, said Public Prosecutor Abul Hashem. 

According to the FIR, some armed men attacked the then BCL leader Sufian Siddique at a rally of the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina at Laldighi Maidan on January 24, 1993.

Sufian later filed an attempt to murder case accusing 18 people, including the then BCL leaders Nasir and Nizam. Kotwali police submitted the charge sheet against the accused on March 7, 1993.

Defence lawyer Chandan Talukder yesterday told

The Daily Star the accused could not be found guilty of the charge brought against them.

While announcing the verdict, the judge said, some of the prosecution witnesses earlier gave their depositions in the case.

But at the time of cross-examination, they could not give proper reply in support of their depositions.

It appears that the witnesses do not support the prosecution case. They also stated that no such incident had taken place and they had no allegation against the accused. 

The judge added that the prosecution had not succeeded in proving the charge brought against the accused.

During cross-examination, Sufian said he did not read the FIR and even did not know who wrote it. He claimed that he was not present at the place of occurrence.

The complainant also said he had no allegation against the accused and he was compelled to sign the FIR upon pressure from the then police administration, said court sources.

Contacted, Sufian said, “Following pressure from the then BNP-led government and police administration, the case was lodged.”

The High Court stayed the proceeding of the case in 1994 following a revision case filed by one of the accused, Faruk Ahmed.

An HC bench later vacated the stay order and ordered for recalling eight witnesses to cross-examine them.

After receiving the HC order, the prosecution cross-examined all the 15 witnesses and the accused.