Prosecution lawyers complete hearing on charge-framing
The prosecution lawyers yesterday completed hearing on charge-framing against 22 accused, including detained former BNP lawmaker Abdus Salam Pintu and Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, in the grenade attack case on an Awami League (AL) rally in the city in 2004.
Defence lawyers for Mufti Hannan and 12 others, now in jail, also completed hearing on their discharge petitions. But Pintu's lawyers submitted a petition seeking adjournment of the charge hearing.
Judge Mohammad Masdar Hossain of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 heard the submissions of the prosecution and the defence on framing charges against the accused and discharging the accused.
The court then fixed October 27 for hearing from Pintu's lawyers on charge-framing.
The case was filed for launching grenade attack on an AL rally on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004 that left 24 people dead and 200 others injured.
Making submissions, prosecution lawyer Syed Rezaur Rahman told the court that the charges brought against the accused were primarily proved.
He also cited that during the investigation of the case, eight Huji members, including Hannan, had given confessional statements admitting their involvement in the attack. So, the lawyers prayed for framing charges against the accused under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (grievous hurt), 324 (causing hurt), 109 (abetment), 34 (criminal liability) and 302 (murder) of Penal Code.
Moving the discharge petition on behalf of Hannan, lawyers told the court that their client's name was not in the first information report (FIR) of the case. He was forced to give confessional statements before a magistrate during the investigation of the case. But later their client submitted a petition to the court for retraction of his confessional statements that were kept in record. They prayed for discharging their client from charges.
Lawyers for 12 other accused, including Hannan's brother Mohibullah, told the court that their clients were implicated in the case on the basis of confessional statements given by Hannan, the prime accused in the case. They also prayed for discharging their clients from the charges brought against them by the prosecution.
Of the accused, Pintu, Mufti Hannan, his brother Mohibullah, alias Mafizur Rahman, and 11 others are now in jail. They were produced in the court yesterday.
Pintu's brother Maulana Tajuddin, Liton, Anisul Mursalin, Mahibul Muttakin, Iqbal, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Howlader,Jahangir Alam Badar and Khalilur Rahman have been on the run since the indictment.
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