Case shifted to sessions judge's court

The case relating to the Ramna Batamul bomb blast filed under the Explosive Substances Act was transferred to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka yesterday.
After scrutinizing the case docket and other relevant documents, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) AKM Enamul Haque ordered the authorities concerned to send the case to the Sessions Judge's Court.
Meantime, the murder case is now pending with the CMM's Court of Dhaka.
The bloodbath that took place during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001 left 10 people dead and scores injured.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, also the investigation officer (IO) of the cases, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM's Court on November 29 last year.
The IO included names of Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 others in the charge sheets of the cases for committing the offences.
Of the accused Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi alias Abul Kalam, Arif Hasan Suman alias Abdur Razzak, Maulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Maulana Abu Taher and Maulana Abdur Rauf were earlier arrested from different places and now in jail custody.
The other accused former deputy minister Abdul Salam Pintu's brother Maulana Mohammad Tajuddin, Maulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Maulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Maulana Yahiya and Mufti Abdul Hye have been on the run since the cases were filed against them.
The court had earlier issued arrest warrants against them and an order to attach their properties.
During the investigation of the cases, Hannan, Akbar and Suman gave confessional statements to magistrates at different times.