Wait for justice could end after 13 years

As the nation prepares to celebrate Pahela Baishakh tomorrow, the horrifying images of the bomb attack at Ramna Batamul 13 years ago still haunt people and they are still waiting for justice to be delivered.
However, their wait could be over within a few months as the trial is done and just one technical issue could hold back the declaration of a date for verdict delivery.
Ten people had died in the attack on the crowd that gathered to watch Chhayanaut's programme welcoming the Bangla Year 1408 (April 14, 2001).  
The case against 14 Harkatul Jihad (Huji) men in this connection is complete. The prosecution and the defence had made their closing arguments after 63 witnesses testified before the court in the case filed for the killing.
However, the prosecution on March 25 submitted a petition to the court requesting to cross examine CID Inspector Abu Hena Md Yusuf, also the investigation officer of the case. The court issued an order allowing it but a lawyer for a Huji leader filed a petition with the High Court on April 1 challenging the legality of the order.
As the High Court is yet to respond regarding the matter, Judge Ruhul Amin of the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka on Thursday fixed April 22 for the defence lawyer to submit any High Court order regarding the matter.
If the defence fails to submit any High Court order on that day, the court could fix a date for judgment delivery.
The blast at Ramna Batamul also left 50 others wounded. Two cases -- one for the killing and the other under Explosive Substances Act -- were filed with Ramna Police Station following the blast but it took investigators over seven years to find Huji links with the attack.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 14 top leaders of banned Huji on December 30, 2008, in both the cases.
The accused are: Mufti Abdul Hannan, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Moulana Yahiya, Mufti Abdul Hye, Moulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Moulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Moulana Mohammad Tajuddin, Moulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Arif Hasan Suman, Moulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Moulana Abu Taher, Moulana Abdur Rouf, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar and Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel.
Of them, Hannan, Suman, Jewel, Abu Taher, Sheikh Farid, Sabbir, Rouf and Akbar are behind bars while six others are still at large.
Since both the cases involve the bombing incident, the accused and witnesses of the cases are mostly the same people. However, the case filed under the Explosive Substances Act is stuck.
In 2009, the Supreme Court registrar's opinion was sought on whether both the cases could be tried together. The registrar is yet to respond.
The Daily Star repeatedly tried to reach Registrar AKM Shamsul Islam over the telephone but he did not pick up.