Accused allege torture in jail

The accused of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria killing case yesterday demanded of the authorities concerned to give exemplary punishment to the police officials who had pressed 'false' charge sheet against them and had 'mercilessly tortured' them in the custody in connection with this case.
AKM Abdul Kaiyum and nine other accused of this case, who were released from jail in July this year on bail after three years in the prison, urged the government to exempt them from the charges of the case.
At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) auditorium, they alleged that then ASP of CID Munshi Atiqur Rahman (now retired), then additional DIG of Sylhet Range AKM Mahfuzul Haque (now rector of Police Staff College), then sub inspectors (SIs) of DB Zubayer (now on duty in Sylhet) and Zahir (now on duty at Beanibazar) had physically tortured them on remand for realising confessional statements.
They said Emdadul Haque, who was the district commissioner of Habiganj then, had provided all supports to their illegal activities.
Abdul Kaiyum, a BNP leader of Habiganj district, read out a written statement at the press conference where he alleged that the BNP-Jamat alliance government had conspiratorially involved them in the case to show the international community that there was no existence of militants in Bangladesh.
He claimed that they are innocent and have no connection with the killing of the Awami League leader.
As they were arrested in this case, their families were financially ruined and they now cannot even take any legal move to file prayers with the High Court for quashment of the proceedings of the case, he added.
Seven other accused- Joynal Abedin Jalal, Shahed Ali, Joynal Abedin Mumin, Ayat Ali, Salim Ahmed, Jamir Ali and Tajul Islam were also present at the press conference.