A Dhaka court yesterday deferred for the eighth time the proceedings in a case filed for attempted murder of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the prosecution could not produce the last witness before the court.
Dhaka’s Fourth Additional Metropolitan and Session’s Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan deferred the date until February 26.
Additional public prosecutor of the court ABM Bashir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the witness, former metropolitan magistrate M Afzalur Rahman, had been sick.
The trial proceedings have been delayed because of his non appearance for long.
According to the case, some Freedom Party leaders and activists had tried to kill Sheikh Hasina at her residence in Dhanmondi by throwing grenades on August 11, 1989.
Then security guard Habilder Md Jahirul Haque of the Awami League president filed the case against some unknown accused with Dhanmondi police station the same day.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charge sheet on February 20, 1997. Investigation Officer Md Khalequzzaman, also assistant superintend of police, pressed the charges against Freedom Party chief Let Col (retd) Farooq Rahman, Maj Bazlul Huda and 16 others.
Of the accused, Humayun Kabir, Mizanur Rahman, Khondoker Amirul Islam and Md Shajahan alias Balu were present before the court yesterday.
The IO made 13 witnesses in the case. Of them, 12 witnesses have already given their depositions. But the deposition of then metropolitan magistrate Afzalur, who had recorded confessional statements of three accused, has been pending as he is sick.
The court on July 11 last year sent a warrant of arrest for his appearance, but he did not comply with the order.
Of the accused, Sohel alias Freedom Sohel, Md Golam Sarwar alias Mamun and Joj Miah are now in jail.
Five other accused absconding from the beginning are Lt Col (retd) Khondoker Rashid, Jafor Ahmed alias Manik, Syed Nazmul Maksud, Gazi Imam Hossain and Md Humayun Kabir.
Main accused of the case, Let Col Syed Farooq Rahman and Maj Bazlul Huda, were hanged in Bangabandhu murder case on January 28, 2010. Two other accused – Gazi Liakat Hossain and Rezaul Islam Khan – have died.
Of the accused, Humayun, Rezaul and Liakat made confessional statement on September 23, 1996 before the court. Judge Afzalur recorded the confessional statements.
According to the case details, on the night of on August 11, 1989 some militants who are also leaders of the Freedom Party attacked the Dhanmondi 32 residence of the Awami League president to kill her. They chanted slogans in the name of Freedom Party. Hasina, now the prime minister, was at her house during the incident. At that time, the security guard of her house opened fire.
At first, police submitted final report in 1996 during the first tenure of the Awami League government. After re-investigation, the CID submitted the charge sheet. The court framed the charges against the accused on July 16, 1997.