Model Tinni murder: Dhaka court records statements of father, uncle

Father of slain model Syeda Tania Mahbub Tinni today gave his statements before a Dhaka court and sought exemplary punishment for the accused in the case.

Judge Keshab Roy Chowdhury of the 7th Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka recorded the statement of Tinni's father Syed Mahbub Karim and later state-appointed lawyer cross-examined the witness on different points.

During the hearing, the witness sought exemplary punishment for the lone accused, former student leader and Jatiya Party MP, Golam Faruq Ovi -- now on the run -- for "killing his daughter".

The judge also recorded statement of another witness Syed Rezaul Karim, paternal uncle of the victim.

The judge then fixed February 23 for the next hearing of the case.

The verdict in the case was supposed to be delivered on November 15 last year, but the judge withdrew its earlier order.

The judge passed the order after Tinni's father and his uncle submitted an application seeking permission for recording their statements in the case.

The court recorded statements of 23 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant of the case, earlier.

On November 10 of 2002, police recovered Tinni's body from under China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over the Buriganga river and a case was filed with Keraniganj Police Station on the same day.

Following the incident, Shafiuddin, a sub-inspector of the police station, on different dates arrested Tinni's ex-husband Shafakat Ahmed Pial, Swapan Gazi, Gazi Sharifullah Tapan, Shafiqul Islam Jewel and Somnath Saha Bappy.

But the Criminal Investigation Department on November 8 of 2008, pressed charge against Ovi and dropped the names of Pial and others as the charges brought against them were not proven.

According to the charge sheet, Ovi allegedly killed Tinni to conceal their "relationship". The charge sheet also said he was in Canada.

Following the charge sheet, the court issued an arrest warrant against Ovi, asking him to appear before it on different dates, but Ovi did not comply with the court order.