'No food, water' for accused in 6-hour proceedings

The proceedings of a court trying the accused of BDR carnage case were interrupted for some moments as the accused spoke out about their food problems yesterday.
“Sir, there is no food and water [during the proceedings, usually six hours]”, they said in one voice after lunch break, while a witness was giving his deposition.
The accused do not get any food but flattened rice and molasses, insufficient in quantity, said Faruk Ahammad, a defense lawyer, on behalf of 800 accused, who were present at the court. Neither are they provided enough drinking water in this high temperature, he said.
“No container is supplied to eat the beaten rice with water”, Faruk said, adding that it was difficult to eat such dry food in such hot weather.
Showing a packet of the rice flakes, which would roughly weigh 100 grams, another defense lawyer Shamim Sardar told the court that the food was provided for four persons.
“It's really a question for humanity”, Judge Mohammad Zohurul Hoque said in response and assured that he would do whatever fell under his jurisdiction.
Five prosecution witnesses gave deposition and were cross-examined at the metropolitan sessions judge's court at the city's Bakshibazar yesterday.
The proceedings will resume on April 02.
A total 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed during the carnage at Pilkhana headquarters of BDR (now Border Guard Bangladesh) on February 25-26, 2009.