Trial opens in Srimongal today, verdict in Sunamganj case Aug 2

Trial of alleged BDR mutineers of Moulvibazar begins today while verdict against chargesheeted 14 of Sunamganj will be pronounced on August 2.
Our correspondent in Moulvibazar reports: Trial of alleged BDR mutineers here will start at the special court no-3 at 14 Rifles Battalion headquarter of Srimongal today.
Major General Rafiqul Islam ndc, PSC, Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) will preside over the court. Members of the panel are Lt. Col Md Aktaruzzaman and Major Md Maksudul Alam.
Deputy Attorney General Md Selim will attend on behalf of the Attorney General. Besides, special prosecutor advocate Gazi Zillur Rahman and advocate Belayet Hussain will be there while Lt Col Md Nurul Huda, commander of 14 Rifle Battalion, Srimongal remain as prosecutor.
At a press briefing at 14 Rifle Battalion headquarter yesterday, Lt. Col. Nurul Huda said the accused may get legal help by appointing lawyers.
But these lawyers will not participate in arguments before the court. They can only give legal advice to the accused, he said.
A total of 43 BDR members have been arrested but all of them may not be accused in the mutiny case, court sources said.
Meanwhile, with the completion of the argument in the case against 14 alleged BDR mutineers of battalion 8, Sunamganj, the special court yesterday set August 2 for pronouncing the verdict.
A 3-member judges panel led by BDR Director General Major General Md. Rafiqul Islam announced it while adjourning the trial till 12 noon of August 2, reports our Staff Correspondent in Sylhet.
The court opened at 9 am and ran till 2pm yesterday. The special court 3, set up at the BDR sector headquarters in Sylhet on 28 June framed charges against the accused 14 BDR men.
The two other members of the panel were Lt. Col Md. Akhtaruzzaman and Maj Md. Maksudul Alam. Besides, Deputy Attorney General Mohammed Selim was present as Attorney General's representative.
The court framed charges after prosecutor Lt. Colonel Tajul Islam Thakur, also the Commanding Officer of the battalion placed it before the judges.
The prosecutor described the complaints before the panel. He also separately narrated the role of the 14 accused during mutiny on 26 February last year.
All the 14 accused, who were on the dock, claimed themselves innocent and pleaded not guilty and filed written arguments in favour of their claim yesterday.
The court earlier took testimony of 20 prosecution witnesses on Monday.
The accused in the mutiny case are Subedar Maj Gouranga Chandra Das, Nayek Subedar Abul Hossain, havildars Md Abdul Jalil, Md Badiul Alam and Md Maniruzzaman, nayeks Md. Harun Ur Rashid, Md Abdul Wahid and Md Hiru Ullah Khan, lance nayeks Abdur Rahim, Biplab Kumar Pandit and Umar Faruque Hossain, and sepoys Maniruzzaman Sheikh, Sumon Marma and Toriqul Islam.