The High Court yesterday asked a Chittagong court to explain in two weeks why trial could not be completed on a Sandweep murder case following its filing 23 years ago.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice ABM Hassan also ordered the additional sessions judge of fourth court of Chittagong to finish the trial proceedings in three months and fixed August 23 to pass further order on this issue.

According to section 339(C) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a murder case has to be disposed of in 180 days after the trial court receives it for holding the trial.

The judges passed the order during the hearing of a petition filed by accused Foyez Uddin Ahmed alias Choukidar Foyez seeking bail in the murder case.

According to the case statement, one Abbas Uddin, 30, was beaten to death in August, 1993. The murder case was filed with Swandeep Police Station in Chittagong on August 7, 1993 against seven persons.

Police submitted a charge sheet in the case against six accused, including Choukidar Foyez to the Chittagong court on October 19, 1993. The trial court started the trial proceedings of the case in 1999.

Choukidar Foyez, who was arrested on May 11 this year, filed the bail petition with the HC recently in connection with the case.

After seeing the case records, the HC yesterday also issued a rule upon the government to explain in two weeks why Foyez should not be granted bail in the case, Assistant Attorney General Sirajul Islam told The Daily Star.