DHAKA: Additional public prosecutor SM Zahid Hossain, also chief of state prosecutors in the much-talked-about Ramna Batamul bomb blast case filed a general diary feeling insecure to perform his duty for the state.
Zahid filed the general diary (GD) with Kotwali thana and sent its copy to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner seeking police protection.
He also sought security from the home minster but received no response.
Zahid told banglanews “Prime accused in the case Mufti Hannan gave me a death threat at the court dock when the argument hearing was underway on March 16”.
“I was threatened to be buried under 60 yards of the earth. On that day, Hannan, holding my shirt’s collar on the court veranda, told me you have become a big PP, if we get punished my men will kill you wherever they find you,” he added.
Zahid told he filed a GD with the thana with the concerned court judge’s comments, though no security measures for me has been taken yet.
Expressing his anguish Zahid said “the PPs of the BDR killing case were given police protection, the accused of this case (Ramna Batamul) is also named in the Kotalipara 73 kilograms bomb and 21 August grenade attack cases too, they were given state security too”.
“Earlier, PP of Advocate Habib killing case was also giving police protection, whereas I sought security several times but was not provided with it,” he added.
Trial of the case has not been finished yet some 13 years after a huge blast during Bangla New Year celebration on April 14, 2001 that claimed 10 lives and scores injured
The blasts took place during the traditional celebrations of Bangla New Year 1408 organized by Chhayanaut at Ramna Batamul in city.
Zahid told banglanews “The defendants created obstacles at the trial’s every step, they applied to courts submitting time petitions at least for 10 times. They have wasted time raising repeated or irrational questions during cross-examinations”.
Even they cross-examined the investigation officer alone for 19 working days, he alleged.
Quite the opposite, defense lawyer Faruk Hossain denied the allegation of making delay in the case.
He said, “Due to the state’s negligence, the case was delayed that intercepts justice; the accused have remained chained with iron rod-cuffs for long and their human rights are being violated”.
The trial would be finished much earlier, if the state prosecution could have been more sincere, he added.
Along with Mufti Hannan, the 13 other accused in the cases are Arif Hasan Sumon, Mawlana Akbar Hossain, Shahadat Ullah Jewel, Mawlana Abu Taher, Mawlana Abdur Rouf, Mawlana M Tazuddin, Mawlana Sabbir, Hafez Jahangir Alam, Mawlana Abu Bakar, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Hafez Mawlana Yahiaya and Mufti Abdul Hai.
Mawlana Akbar was enjoying bail. Later, court sent him to jail canceling the bail.
Mufti Hannan, Arif Hasan Sumon, Shahadat Ullah Jewel, Mawlana Abu Taher, Mawlana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid and Mawlana Abdur Rauf are in jail now while rests of the others are still in hiding.
On the day of the blast, Sergeant Amal Chandra of Babupura Police Station filed a murder case with Ramna Police Station. Later, the Detective Branch and Criminal Investigation Department took over the case.
In a latest development, the state brought witness before the court on Thursday. But the killing plan was not disclosed there as the defendants came up with time petitions.
Hearing the both sides, the judge fixed April 22 for submitting the HC order.
In these ways, the case has been prolonging, lasting the stay of the accused in police custody and intercepting the justice.
BDST: 1028 HRS APR 15, 2014
