A Barisal court yesterday acquitted all the 13 accused in a case filed in connection with the August 17 serial bomb blasts in Barisal city.
Of the acquitted persons, Golam Morshed Chowdhury Reza, Jalal Arefin, Hafez Saiful Islam, Abu Yusuf Majumdar, Abu Solaiman Sujan, Md Maruf, Jasimuddin, Abdus Sobahan, and Giasuddin are in custody while Sarwar, Abdur Rahim, Zahid Babu, and Ziaur Rahman Zia are on the run.
Barisal Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Rabiul Hassan also passed an order to release the nine arrestees if they are not accused in any other cases.
The court examined 20 out of 23 witnesses in the case
According to the prosecution, the police filed 12 cases after the serial bomb blasts at 12 places in Barisal city on August 17, 2005.
Assistant sub-inspector Anwar Hossain of Barisal Kotwali Police Station filed the 7th case for blasting bombs at a place between Bottala police checkpoint and a city mosque on August 17, 2005.
Sub-inspector Matiar Rahman submitted the charge sheet against 14 people on December 25, 2005.
With this judgment, the trial proceedings of eight out the 12 cases have been completed.
Only in one case seven people were sentenced to life imprisonment by the same court on July 30, 2008.
Advocate Kazi Munir Hussein, special prosecutor-in-charge of the tribunal, said the accused in such cases get acquitted due to flaws in investigation.