Mondol murder case verdict today

Judgement in the Advocate Habibur Rahman Mondol murder case will be delivered today.

Shahed Noor Uddin, judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, Dhaka Division, will pronounce the verdict at 12:30pm, court sources said.

The prosecution and the defence completed hearing arguments in the case on Monday. The tribunal had earlier recorded the statements of 27 out of 46 prosecution witnesses.

The tribunal framed charges against Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward Commissioner Saidur Rahman Shahid and 17 others on January 9 this year. The trial began on January 17 and was complete in 135 working days.

Advocate Mondol,44, joint secretary of the city BNP and leader of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Parishad, was shot dead by a gang at Chandra Mohon Basak Lane at Banagram in old Dhaka on August 20, 2000.

Mondol came under attack when he and his muhuri (clerk) were going to court by a motorbike.

Mohammad Abdul Hye Bhuiyan, a BNP activist, filed a murder case with the Sutrapur Police Station accusing four people the following day.

But Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, the then officer-in-charge of the Sutrapur Police Station and investigation officer of the case, submitted a final report on June 6, 2001as the allegations against the accused were not proved.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka on June 19, 2001 ordered further investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) upon a naraji petition (no-confidence) filed by the complainant of the case.

The CID submitted a charge sheet against Shahid and 17 others on November 4 last year.

Of the accused, Shahid, Kala Sharif, Abdul Malek, Alamgir and Akhter Hossain are now in custody while "Pichchi" Hannan and 11 others have been absconding.