A Dhaka court on Sunday recorded the depositions of two prosecution witnesses in the Biswajit murder case and set the next date on July 25 for the same.
Acting judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4, Dewan Mohammad Shafiullah, recorded the depositions of Athithi Tailors employee Md Suman Khan, and QG Samdai Petrol Pump (located to the north of the Victoria Park) staff member Md Salek.
The witnesses said they had not observed the incident for themselves but that they had seen it on television, read about it in newspapers and heard from people that someone was hacked to death near Bahadur Shah Park.
The defence council did not cross-examine the witnesses.
On July 14 the same court recorded the statement of Md Jalal Uddin, a sub inspector of Sutrapur police station, and also the complainant in the case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jahrul Haque, on June 2, framed charges against 21 activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Jagannath University unit for their alleged involvement in the killing.
On June 30 the case was transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 from the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court, as per a home ministry’s decision for the quick disposal of the case.
As many as eight of the 21 accused Chhatra League activists were produced before the court. They are, Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, AHM Kibria, Quiyum Miah Tipu, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Saiful Islam, Emdadul Haque Emdad, Golam Mustafa and Mohammad Rafiqul Islam alias Shakil. The rest of the accused are on the run.
Biswajit, a 24-year-old tailor, was hacked to death on December 9 last year by the BCL activists near Bahadur Shah Park, in the court area in Old Dhaka, soon after pro-opposition lawyers brought out a procession in support of a countrywide shutdown.
He was brutally hacked up and beaten for half an hour in the presence of police by the ruling party men who mistook him for a pro-opposition activist.
On March 5, the DB Inspector and Investigations Officer assigned with the case, Tajul Islam, submitted the charge sheet before the court.
The investigators named 60 individuals, including two metropolitan magistrates – Shahriar Mahmud Adnan and Earfun Ullah – a number of police officials and several local small traders as prosecution witnesses.
On April 4 the metropolitan magistrate took the charge sheet into cognisance and issued arrest warrants against the fugitives.