A Dhaka court has started reading verdict in the sensational Ramna Batamul killing case.
Judge Ruhul Amin of the Dhaka’s Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court started reading out the verdict around 11:42am.
Nine accused in the Ramna Batamul killing case have been produced before the court.
The nine accused are: Mufti Abdul Hannan, Maulana Yahiya, Maulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Maulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Arif Hasan Suman, Maulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Maulana Abu Taher, Maulana Abdur Rouf and Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel.
However, verdict in other case, involving explosives, is uncertain as a petition seeking the Supreme Court registrar’s opinion is still pending.
Two cases -- one for the killing and the other under the explosive substances act -- were filed with Ramna police station in connection with the incident.
Of the 14 accused, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hye, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar and Maulana Mohammad Tajuddin are still at large.
During the traditional celebrations of the Bangla New Year, 1408 (April 14, 2001) at the Ramna Batamul, several blasts killed 10 people and injured around 50 others.
The Criminal Investigation Department on December 30, 2008 pressed charges against the 14 accused in both the cases.
Mufti Hannan and Akbar in confessional statements before magistrates told that they along with other Huji members had carried out the bomb attack as celebrating the Bangla New Year is anti-Islamic.
Since the accused and the witnesses were same in both the cases, the Speedy Trial Tribunal 1 of Dhaka in 2009 sought the Supreme Court registrar’s opinion on whether both the cases could be tried together. The registrar is yet to respond on the matter.
