It may take two or three more months to finish the trial proceedings of the BDR carnage case at the High Court, even though more than a year has passed since the start of the appeal hearing.
The state counsels said hearing of death reference and also appeals filed by the convicts are being heard by the High Court. So far, the state has finished placing paper books and arguments against the death convicts in the case.
At present, counsels of the death convicts are placing arguments for their clients. After it finishes, the state counsels will start placing arguments in their appeals filed against the different jail terms including against the life-term convicts.
Talking to reporters yesterday, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said: “The defence’s arguments on behalf of the death convicts may end this month. Then the hearing on the appeals filed separately by the convicts and state will be heard. We hope for the verdict after it ends within two or three months.”
According to the office of the attorney general, the hearing started at a special bench of High Court on January 18 last year. The bench of Justice Md Shawkat Hossain, Justice Abu Jafar Siddiqui and Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder was formed that year to hear the death references, jail appeals and the appeals filed by the convicts in the BDR carnage case.
The bench has held hearing 190 days so far. But defence counsels say the trial might take more time.
“This is the biggest ever criminal case in the country’s history. The hearing has been going on regularly for a year. It will take more time,” said Aminul Islam, one of the counsels.
Several state counsels however blamed the defence counsels for delaying the trial, saying some defence lawyers do not come to the court regularly to place arguments.
More than 50 lawyers including state-appointed lawyers are defending the convicts at the High Court.
Defence lawyers claimed that relatives of many convicts do not contact them to discuss the case. Defence lawyers are often discouraged as they do not get fees from their clients.
During the BDR mutiny on February 25-26, 2009, at least 74 people including 57 army officials were killed at the force’s Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka.
In November 2013 the court sentenced 150 soldiers of Bangladesh Rifles, now Border Guard Bangladesh, and two civilians to death, and jailed 161 for life for their involvement. It also gave rigorous imprisonment, ranging from three to 10 years, to 256, mostly BDR soldiers. The 277 other accused were acquitted.