Trial court expedites proceedings

The trial court now hears every workday for quick disposal of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider murder case filed against eight leaders and activists of the banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team.

When asked, Public Prosecutor Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star that he had appealed to the court to hear the murder case on every workday for its quick disposal. Following the appeal, the court took the decision.

Meantime, a metropolitan magistrate, who had recorded confessional statement of the militant outfit chief, Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani, yesterday gave his deposition before the trial court.

In his statement, the Metropolitan Magistrate, Md Asaduzzaman Nur, said he recorded statement of Rahmani on September 2 in 2013 after the investigation officer had produced the accused before his chamber.

“I gave the accused sufficient time to think before recording his confessional statement at his chamber,” Nur said while giving his deposition before the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka.

Judge Syed Ahmed of the tribunal recorded the statement of the witness and later fixed today for the next hearing on the Rajib murder case after defence lawyers' completion of cross-examination of the magistrate.

Earlier, the court recorded statements of 23 other prosecution witnesses, including the complainant in the case.

Rajib, an activist of the Shahbagh movement demanding death penalty for war criminals, was hacked to death in the city's Pallabi area on February 15, 2013.

During yesterday's hearing, Rahmani and six other accused, now in jail, were present in the court while another accused remained absconding.