Probe report submission deferred again

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A Dhaka court has deferred again for the sixth time the submission of further investigation report on the explosives case related to the grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally on August 21, 2004 which killed 24 people, reports bdnews24.com.
Dhaka's Metropolitan Sessions Judge Ismail Hossain Sunday granted the Criminal Investigation Depar-tment two months more following a plea by investigation Officer Abdul Kahhar Akand for four months.
Public Prosecutor Shah Alam Talukder told the news agency that it was the sixth deadline given since investigations were reopened last year.
On August 3, 2009, Masdar Hossain, the then judge of Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal-1, had initially directed further investigations after taking statements of 61 witnesses.
Two cases were originally filed in connection with the grenade attack, one for killings and the other for use of explosives.
On October 14 last year, the cases were transferred to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's court and the CID was given another extension.
Investigation into the case did not proceed due allegedly to the reluctance of the then BNP government. The AL accused the previous BNP administration of attempting to derail the case through different means including recording of false statements from witnesses.
After BNP's tenure was over, new investigations were ordered and on June 11 last year the police pressed charges against 22 people.
BNP leader Nasiruddin Pintu and JMB leader Mufti Hannan were among the accused. Former state minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar, now in jail, was also recently shown arrested in connection with the attack.