Twelve years gone, trial still unfinished

Twelve years have passed, but the trial of a murder case filed over a suicide bomb attack on the Chittagong court premises is yet to be finished.

On this day in 2005, JMB carried out the attack, killing two people, including a police constable and injuring 16 others.

Following the attack, a murder and explosive cases were filed with Kotwali Police Station.

Court sources said only 28 witnesses out of 77 have testified in last 12 years. Even the investigation officer of the murder case is yet to testify.

Currently, the murder case is under trial at Speedy Trial Tribunal in Chittagong.

Special Public Prosecutor Mohammed Ayub Khan of the tribunal yesterday told The Daily Star that no deposition of the witnesses was recorded as the post of the tribunal's judge has been vacant for nine months this year.

Besides, the number of witnesses was increased without any ground, causing the delay as well, said PP Ayub.

In the murder case, detectives submitted a charge sheet to the court, accusing five leaders of the banned Islamist outfit on May 18, 2006.

A Chittagong court framed charges against them on April 16, 2007.

Three of the accused were hanged to death in another case.

Among the remaining two accused in the murder case, Javed Iqbal alias Mohammed alias Hurrar, is in jail while JMB bomb expert Jahedul Islam Sumon alias Boma Mizan is on the run.