Appeal made to discharge Mojahid, Babar

Three accused, including Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, yesterday appealed to a Dhaka court to be discharged of the August 21 grenade attack cases.
Mojahid and Babar's counsels submitted the discharge petitions in the morning as Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 resumed the charge framing hearing against BNP Senior Vice-President Tarique Rahman and 51 other accused in the cases.
Mojahid's counsel Nazrul Islam raised several points in support of the discharge petition at the court. Babar's lawyer TM Akbar completed a part of the petition and will attend the next hearing on October 30.
Meanwhile, the other accused Harkat-ul Jihad (Huji) leader Moulana Abu Taher's counsel also appealed to the court to discharge his client from the charges.
The counsels of the accused said their clients were implicated in the cases as part of a conspiracy to harass them, adding that their names were not included in the first information report of the cases.
Avocate Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief prosecutor, opposed the defence pleas saying their names were included in charge sheets based on the confessional statements given by Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan on April 7.
On October 13 and 17, counsels of former inspector general of police (IGP) Khoda Baksh Chowdhury and Lt Commander (retd) Saiful Islam Duke, nephew of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, appealed to discharge them.