Charges framed against Mufti Hannan, 13 others
Friday, 17 April 2009
Eight years after the bloody bombing at the Ramna Batamul during Bangla New Year's celebrations, a Dhaka court framed charges against banned Islamist outfit chief Mufti Hannan and 13 others Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.
Charges of the twin cases, for murder and bombing, were framed at noon by Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge ANN Bashirullah. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Six dates were fixed by the judge to take statement of the witnesses for the two cases - May 3, 4 and 5 for the murder case and April 28, 29 and 30 for the bombing case.
Earlier, charges could not be framed as the prosecution appealed for time.
Seven New Year revellers died at the spot on April 14, 2001 and three of the score wounded died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Aminullah Aman, Ibrahim Khalil, Mahbub Afjal, Rafiqul Islam, Swapan Kumar Das, Reza, Mahmudul Kabir, Asim, Omar Faruq were among the dead.
Sergeant Amal Chandra of Babupura police out post filed a murder case with Ramna police station that day. Later, the Detective Branch and Criminal Investigation Department took over the case.
Maolana Akbar Hossain, outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Bangladesh chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and Arif Hasan Suman gave confessional statements at the court during the investigation.
CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf filed two charge sheets for murder and bombing cases on Nov 30 last year naming 14 accused and 84 witnesses. Five of the accused are in jail, one on bail and eight are at large.
Mufti Hannan, Mufti Abdur Rauf, Abu Taher, Arif Hasan Suman and Shahadat Ullah Jewel are in jail. Maolana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin is on bail.
The fugitives are: Maolana Tajuddin, younger brother of past BNP-led alliance government's state minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Maolana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Maolana Abu Bakar alias Hafez Selim Haoladar, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman Shafiq, Hafez Maolana Yahia and Mufti Abdul Hai alias Abu Naeem.
Hearing on charge-framing was held on Mar 12 and Mar 23 was the date for order. But public prosecutor Abdullah Abu applied for one more month to prepare for the hearing, the court set April 16 for framing charges.
Charges of the twin cases, for murder and bombing, were framed at noon by Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge ANN Bashirullah. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Six dates were fixed by the judge to take statement of the witnesses for the two cases - May 3, 4 and 5 for the murder case and April 28, 29 and 30 for the bombing case.
Earlier, charges could not be framed as the prosecution appealed for time.
Seven New Year revellers died at the spot on April 14, 2001 and three of the score wounded died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Aminullah Aman, Ibrahim Khalil, Mahbub Afjal, Rafiqul Islam, Swapan Kumar Das, Reza, Mahmudul Kabir, Asim, Omar Faruq were among the dead.
Sergeant Amal Chandra of Babupura police out post filed a murder case with Ramna police station that day. Later, the Detective Branch and Criminal Investigation Department took over the case.
Maolana Akbar Hossain, outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Bangladesh chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and Arif Hasan Suman gave confessional statements at the court during the investigation.
CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf filed two charge sheets for murder and bombing cases on Nov 30 last year naming 14 accused and 84 witnesses. Five of the accused are in jail, one on bail and eight are at large.
Mufti Hannan, Mufti Abdur Rauf, Abu Taher, Arif Hasan Suman and Shahadat Ullah Jewel are in jail. Maolana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin is on bail.
The fugitives are: Maolana Tajuddin, younger brother of past BNP-led alliance government's state minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Maolana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Maolana Abu Bakar alias Hafez Selim Haoladar, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman Shafiq, Hafez Maolana Yahia and Mufti Abdul Hai alias Abu Naeem.
Hearing on charge-framing was held on Mar 12 and Mar 23 was the date for order. But public prosecutor Abdullah Abu applied for one more month to prepare for the hearing, the court set April 16 for framing charges.