A Dhaka court on Sunday deferred the verdict against six Hizb-ut Tahrir men in an anti-terrorism case.
The verdict against Hizb-ut Tahrir chief coordinator Mohiuddin Ahmed alias Royal and five others was scheduled to be announced on Sunday. They were charged for conspiring against the government.
Judge Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal has moved the verdict date to January 30.
Md. Jahangir Hossain, Special Public Prosecutor of the Tribunal said “The court deferred the date of the verdict as the judgment is not ready yet in the case.” This is the fourth time the verdict has been deferred, he added.
The six accused are: Mohiuddin Ahmed, Md Abu Yusuf Ali, Saidur Rahman alias Razib, Kazi Morsedul Haque alias Plabon, Tanvir Ahmed, and Tawhidul Alam, alias Chanchal.
According to sources, joint coordinator Chanchal has gone into hiding after securing bail.
Mohiuddin, also a teacher at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University, one of four accused who are now out on bail, appeared in court.
Detective Branch of police Inspector Md Nurul Amin, also investigation officer for the case, submitted a charge sheet against the six accused on February 9, 2013. The charges were further formalised against the accused on September 27, 2016.
According to the case statement, several Hizb ut-Tahrir men distributed anti-government posters and leaflets to pedestrians on Road-2 in Sector-2 of Uttara on April 18 in 2010.
Police arrested Tanvir, Rajib, and Touhidul from the spot and recovered some crude bombs in their possession. During interrogation, they named Mohiuddin as the instigator of their action.Upon this information, the police arrested Mohiuddin as well.
Later, then Uttara model police station SI, Md Arman, filed a case against the six, under the Anti-terrorism Act.
Who is Mohiuddin
Mohiuddin Ahmed, alias Royal, is the alleged spokesman and chief coordinator of Hizbut Tahrir. He was also an associate professor at the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University.
On October 25, DU authorities put Mohiuddin on compulsory leave to maintain peace on campus.
That year he told the media that: “We don’t support the current election system which only brings changes to leadership. It does not change the ideology or the government’s stance. The government must be changed or uprooted through mass-upheaval.”
On October 22, 2009, the government banned Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh, stating that the Islamist outfit was posing a threat to national security.
