CID gets 36 more days to probe

A Chittagong court on Thursday granted Criminal Investigation Department (CID) 36 days more to complete investigation into the sensational Chittagong arms haul case.
Metropolitan Sessions Judge AKM Shamsul Islam passed the extension order, effective from February 23, to complete further investigation till March 30 upon a prayer by the CID for 90 days.
With this, the court extended the time limit for the 12th time since Investigation Officer (IO) of the cases Md Muniruzzman, also a senior ASP of CID, started investigating the case on February 4, 2009.
The IO moved the latest petition on February 13, more than a week before the expiry of previously extended time.
The same court, during the hearing on the time petition on February 22, reprimanded the IO for repeatedly asking more time to investigate the case and for not having the case docket with him. It also ordered the IO to submit the case docket on that day.
The court passed the order after the IO submitted the case docket on Wednesday.
During the tenure of the last caretaker government, a Chittagong court on February 12, 2008, ordered further investigation into the case following an appeal made by the then public prosecutor Ahsanul Hoque Hena.
Since February 12, 2008, the court has so far extended time 17 times. On November 24 last year, it granted three months to complete investigation.
The arms haul cases dates back to April 1, 2004, when police seized 10 trucks loaded with weapons and ammunition at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) jetty.