A Dhaka court yesterday fixed February 25 for witness deposition in the case filed against 46 BNP leaders including Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for torching vehicles in front of the Prime Minister’s Office during the shutdown on April 29, 2012.
Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or-Rashid deferred the trial, acting on a time petition filed by the defence. The court fixed the new date for the submission of a High Court order on quashing the case and placing the first prosecution witness.
Six BNP leaders, including Amanullah Aman, Mirza Abbas, Nazim Uddin Alam and MA Matin, appeared before the court during the hearing.
Defence Counsel Sanaullah Miah filed the petition mentioning that they had earlier filed a quashment petition with the High Court under section 561 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The case proceedings had earlier been stayed for six months in accordance with an order of the High Court. Later, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court vacated the stay order and directed the trial court to resume the proceedings.
Then the defence filed a live to appeal against the Appellate Division order which is now pending for hearing.
Other accused persons involved in the case include BNP Leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Liberal Democratic Party President Col (retd) Oli Ahmed.
On May 10, 2012, Detective Branch Inspector Nurul Amin, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted charge sheet before the court. The investigation officer showed 18 people including the owner and the driver of the damaged vehicle as prosecution witnesses.
Four other accused persons – Islami Chhatra Shibir President Delwar Hossain, Jamaat-e-Islami Leader Maqbul Ahmed and Chhatra Shibir leaders Nurul Islam Bulbul and Abdul Zabbar – are absconding.
The countrywide hartal was enforced to demand rescue of BNP Leader M Ilyas Ali and restoration of the caretaker government system.
