Main culprits to appear on dock in Jan
Saturday, 27 November 2010
The 824 suspected main culprits of 2009 massacre of 57 army officers, who were serving the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), are set to appear on the dock in January next year to be tried in a Speedy Trial Tribunal, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said, reports BSS.
"We are now contemplating appointing a competent judge while the tribunal will sit at a makeshift structure, being built at a huge open field near the court complex in old Dhaka," Ahmed told the news agency.
He said steps were also underway to amend a law that obligated the tribunal to complete the trial process in 135 days, as the court would assumingly require more time to try so many accused in a single case.
Ahmed's comments came as Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina earlier this week told on Armed Forces Day reception that the government would launch the trial of the main mutiny culprits in next two months while trial of rebel soldiers were already underway in 11 special BDR courts on ordinary mutiny charges.
Under an earlier government decision in line with a Supreme Court directive, the BDR soldiers who were directly linked to the killings, lootings and arsons during the February 25-26 BDR rebellion at the Pilkhana Headquarters in Dhaka would be tried in a Speedy Trial Tribunal under the civil Penal Code.
Special Government Prosecutor for the BDR trial Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said they expected the makeshift structures for the court at the Alia Madrasah premises in Dhaka to be readied by the Public Works Department by December this year.
"The trial of the carnage will witness highest number of accused appearing on the dock, so we required the huge field to accommodate several thousand people including lawyers, witnesses, security people and the journalists," he said.
Asked what he expected about the time to be required to accomplish the trial process, Kajol said, "if everything goes smoothly, it may take a year" but he feared the defence counsels to challenge the trial at different stages on legal points delaying the process.
"I, therefore, suggest a government initiative requesting the chief justice to constitute a designated bench in the High Court for quick disposal of the legal issues relating to the trial," he said.
The law minister said step like this may be taken if required.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police in July this year formally charged 801 BDR soldiers and 23 civilians including ex-BDR soldiers and former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu after months of investigation.
"The rebel soldiers mowed their officers down in cold blood, using some 2,500 weapons which they had looted from the BDR armoury," Chief Investigator of CID Abdul Kahhar Akand told newsmen after submitting the charge sheet.
"We are now contemplating appointing a competent judge while the tribunal will sit at a makeshift structure, being built at a huge open field near the court complex in old Dhaka," Ahmed told the news agency.
He said steps were also underway to amend a law that obligated the tribunal to complete the trial process in 135 days, as the court would assumingly require more time to try so many accused in a single case.
Ahmed's comments came as Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina earlier this week told on Armed Forces Day reception that the government would launch the trial of the main mutiny culprits in next two months while trial of rebel soldiers were already underway in 11 special BDR courts on ordinary mutiny charges.
Under an earlier government decision in line with a Supreme Court directive, the BDR soldiers who were directly linked to the killings, lootings and arsons during the February 25-26 BDR rebellion at the Pilkhana Headquarters in Dhaka would be tried in a Speedy Trial Tribunal under the civil Penal Code.
Special Government Prosecutor for the BDR trial Mosharraf Hossain Kajol said they expected the makeshift structures for the court at the Alia Madrasah premises in Dhaka to be readied by the Public Works Department by December this year.
"The trial of the carnage will witness highest number of accused appearing on the dock, so we required the huge field to accommodate several thousand people including lawyers, witnesses, security people and the journalists," he said.
Asked what he expected about the time to be required to accomplish the trial process, Kajol said, "if everything goes smoothly, it may take a year" but he feared the defence counsels to challenge the trial at different stages on legal points delaying the process.
"I, therefore, suggest a government initiative requesting the chief justice to constitute a designated bench in the High Court for quick disposal of the legal issues relating to the trial," he said.
The law minister said step like this may be taken if required.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police in July this year formally charged 801 BDR soldiers and 23 civilians including ex-BDR soldiers and former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu after months of investigation.
"The rebel soldiers mowed their officers down in cold blood, using some 2,500 weapons which they had looted from the BDR armoury," Chief Investigator of CID Abdul Kahhar Akand told newsmen after submitting the charge sheet.