After 16 years, family still awaiting justice
Today marks 16 years since former finance minister and Awami League (AL) leader Shah AMS Kibria was killed in a grisly grenade attack at an AL rally in Habiganj's Baidderbazar area on January 27, 2005.
Two cases -- one for murder and another under Explosive Substances Act -- were filed on the night of the incident; however, the family still awaits justice after so many years.
Charges for the murder case was formed on September 13, 2015, ten years after the attack. Charges for the explosive case was framed on October 22 last year.
In the last six years of the murder case's trial at Speedy Trial Tribunal in Sylhet, testimonies of only 43 witnesses out of a total of 171 were recorded.
Advocate Sarwar Ahmed Chowdhury, public prosecutor of the tribunal, said, "Several accused in both the cases are high profile prisoners. They move district to district for different cases. There are security issues sometimes, and the accused remain absent at the Sylhet tribunal most of the time."
"Moreover, 128 remaining witnesses don't come to the tribunal to testify, even after repeated summons. Due to these issues, trial dates got deferred numerous times," he said, adding that today is a scheduled day to record testimonies in both the cases.
Meanwhile, Dr Reza Kibria, son of ASM Kibria, said, "After the brutal killing of my father, Awami League is in the government for the last 12 years. But still we don't see any possibility of getting true justice."
"Three charge-sheets were pressed in the case, and they were not identical to others. That's why we had to file no-confidence plea every time. Yet, my mother was pressurised every time to allow the given charge-sheets," he said.
Family members, relatives and well-wishers of the famous leader will offer tribute at his grave at the capital's Banani Intellectual Graveyard today.
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