RAMNA BATAMUL BOMB EXPLOSION
Court issues warrant for arrest of 8 fugitive accused
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka
Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s court Wednesday ordered arrest warrant against eight fugitive accused in the Ramna Batamul bomb explosion in which 10 people were killed at Bengali New Year day function in 2001.
Two cases are before the court on the incident — one on charge of explosion and the other on killing. Judge ANM Bashirullah accepted the charge sheet with regard to the explosion on completion of hearing on its admissibility.
Fourteen people were accused in both charge sheets submitted by CID police on November 30 last year. The eight of the accused remained fugitive against whom warrant of arrest was ordered Wednesday are Jahangir Alam Badar, Selim Howladar, Maulana Sabbir, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Hafez Maulana Yahea, Maulana Abdul Hye, Maulana Tajuddin and Shawkat Osman.
Five accused in custody are Mufti Abdul Hannan, Maulana Abdur Rouf, Jewel, Sumon and Abu Taher while Maulana Akbar is on bail.
On the second case on charge of murder, the court was to frame charge Wednesday. But it was deferred till February 18, as the court found no lawyer to defend Mufti Hannan, Maulana Abdur Rouf and the fugitives.
The district magistrate was asked to engage lawyer in defence of them, failing which the court said it would engage lawyer to defend them.
Both the cases were filed with Ramna thana following the incident. The police took more than six years to investigate into the cases. The court sources said they had submitted charge sheets but never those came to light.
Ultimately the cases were transferred to the criminal investigation of police that submitted the charge sheets on November 30 last year.
Mufti Abdul Hannan, a veteran of 1980s Afghan war and chief of outlawed Harkutul Jihad, is accused in some major bomb explosion and grenade attack cases, including the grenade attack on Awami League rally in the city on |August 21, 2004.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
