The trial in the murder case of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria has been dragging on for the 14 years.
The families of the deceased, as well as those injured in the same incident, have expressed frustration over the delay in justice.
Kibria was killed in a grenade attack following a rally after the Eid congregation on January 27, 2005 at Boidder Bazar during the rule of a coalition government formed by the BNP and Jamat-e-Islami.
Kibria’s nephew Shah Manzurul Huda, Awami League leader Abdur Rahim, Abul Hossain and Siddik Ali
were killed in the attack and hundreds of Awami League leaders and activists were injured.
Abdul Majid Khan, organising secretary of the Habiganj district wing of the Awami League, filed two separate cases under the Penal Code and the Explosives Act.
The murder case is under the jurisdiction of the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal, while the Explosives Act case is being tried by the Habiganj Special Judges Court.
Of the 171 witnesses, 43 have testified as of now, said special public prosecutor Kishore Kumar in Habiganj Court. The next hearing date in the case is Feb 7.
“The accused in the case are named in other cases too, making it difficult to bring them to the court on the scheduled date. Therefore the trial is being delayed,” he said.
Munshi Atiqur Rahman, then ASP of CID, submitted the first charge sheet in the case on Mar 20, 2005.
Abdul Qayyum-former vice president of the Habiganj district BNP and former chief of Zia Memorial and Research Council, former General Secretary of the district wing of Zia Memorial and Research Council Shahed Ali, bankers Ayat Ali and Kajal Mia, former Deputy Office Secretary of the district wing of Chhatra Dal Selim Ahmed, BNP activist Tajul Islam, Joinal Abedin Jalal, union BNP leaders Jamir Ali, Joynal Abedin Momin and Mohibur Rahman were accused in the charge sheet.
On May 3, 2006, the plaintiff Abdul Majid Khan raised an objection to the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal over the case, which the court rejected. He appealed to the High Court on May 14.
Following the appeal, the High Court issued a rule asking why further investigations would not be carried out in the case.
The government appealed against the rule on May 18, 2006, but the Appellate Division rejected the plea.
An extended investigation of the case began during emergency rule with CID Deputy Superintendent Rafiqul Islam in charge.
Islam submitted a charge sheet on Jun 20, 2011 adding 14 more suspects to the case.
These new suspects were former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, Harkat-ul-Jihad leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, Lashkar-E-Tayiba member Abdul Majid Kashmiri, brother of former BNP state minister Abdus Salam Pintu’s brother Moulana Tajuddin, Mohiuddin Avi, Shahedul Alam Dilu, Syed Nayeem Ahmed Arif, Fazlul Alam Mizan, Mizanur Rahman Mithu, Mohammed Abdul Hai, Mohammed Ali, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Badrul Enayet alias Md Badrul and Badrul Alam Mizan.
Kibria’s wife Asma Kibria again raised an objection on Jun, 28, 2011.
