Charge-framing hearing now September 24

A Dhaka court yesterday re-fixed September 24 for hearing on charge framing against 22 accused, including Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abul Hannan and detained former BNP lawmaker Abdus Salam Pintu, in connection with the August 21 grenade attack case.
Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Mohammad Masdar Hossain adjourned the hearing following a petition submitted by the lawyers of Pintu.
The case was filed after the grenade attack that left 23 people dead and around 200 others injured at an Awami League rally in the city's Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. AL president Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped from the attack.
Moving the petition, Pintu's lawyers told the court that time would be saved and trial be smooth if the two cases - one for murder and another under the Explosive Substances Act -- were tried together. The prosecution did not oppose the defence lawyers' plea for trial of the cases together.
The murder case was earlier transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal for its quick disposal while the case filed for exploding grenades was yet to reach to the tribunal.
The next date for hearing of the case filed for blasting grenades is scheduled on September 21.
Of the accused, Pintu, Mufti Hannan and his brother Mohibullah alias Mafizur Rahman alias Ovi and 10 others were earlier arrested and all of them are now in jail custody. They were produced before the court from different jails yesterday.
Meanwhile, Maulana Tajuddin and Maulana Liton, two bothers of Pintu, and Anisul Mursalin, Mahibul Muttakin, Iqbal, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Howlader, Jahangir Alam Badar and Khalilur Rahman remained absconding since the cases were filed.
Another accused Uzzal Hosain alias Ratan was not produced before the court during yesterday's hearing due to his illness, court sources said.
Of the arrested, Hannan, Bipul, Ovi, Abu Sayeed, Bulbul, Arif Hossain, Jahangir and Sabuj gave their statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code confessing their involvement with the incident.
On June 11 this year, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Assistant Superintendent Fazlul Kabir, also the investigation officer (IO) of the cases, submitted the charge-sheets to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka, showing 412 people as prosecution witnesses.