Stuck in legal tangles for 21yrs
Twenty years have passed since two bombs blasted during Bangla New Year celebrations at Dhaka's Ramna Batamul on this day in 2001, but the final justice is yet to be delivered. Appeals and death reference in connection with the case are still pending with the High Court.
Ten people were killed and dozens injured in the blasts at an event organised by Chhayanaut.
Legal tangles, including repeated adjournments and reconstitution of HC benches, have caused delays in disposal of the case.
It is still uncertain when the appeals filed by the convicts and death reference will be heard and a judgement will be delivered by the HC.
Contacted, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the lower court has finished trial proceedings of the case, following the initiatives he took after becoming minister. "The case is now pending with the High Court. I don't know its present status. I will inquire about it."
The case has been included in the HC's hearing lists 375 times since 2014, but the benches concerned adjourned hearing each time, following the state's adjournment prayers, said defence lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir.
He said the convicted, who have been in jail, particularly in condemned cells, are being deprived of justice due to the long delay.
An HC bench led by Justice Krishna Debnath (now an Appellate Division judge), which was scheduled to hold hearing on the death reference and appeals on October 24 last year, sent the case files to then chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, as the bench was reconstituted.
Neither the then CJ nor current CJ Hasan Foez Siddique has assigned any other HC bench for hearing and dealing with the case, Manir said, adding that four HC benches, which were scheduled to deal with the case, have been reconstituted by previous chief justices.
Shishir Manir said after the HC disposes the case, both the defence and state may move appeals before the Supreme Court, and therefore, it is uncertain when ultimate justice will be delivered.
Deputy Attorney General Shaheen Ahmed Khan said if the HC starts the hearing, 15 to 20 working days may be needed for conclusion of the hearing, and the Appellate Division may need around 10 working days.
Manir's "375 times adjourned" claim may not be authentic, as the normal functions of the court were suspended for a long time due to the pandemic, he said.
A Dhaka court on June 23, 2014 handed down death penalty to eight militants of Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji), including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, for killing 10 people in the attack.
Six other militants were sentenced to life in prison.
Hannan was executed on April 13, 2017 at Kashimpur High Security Prison. He was executed for carrying out a grenade attack on then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury in Sylhet on May 21, 2004.
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