Tajia procession bomb attack case sees no progress

Mamun Khan: Four years ago, banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) carried out a gruesome bomb attack on the traditional Tajia procession marking the Ashura, leaving two people killed and 100 others injured.

But the trial of the case filed in this connection has not ended in last four years due to legal complexity in the practice of law. The case has ostensibly remained stagnant.

Initially, the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge court started the trial in the case framing charges against 10 JMB members on May 31, 2017. Testimony of only 11 out of the total 46 witnesses has concluded in last 27 months after the charge was framed.

The last hearing in the case was held on October 22, 2018, almost a year before, when a witness named Abu Sayeed testified before the tribunal.

The case is now pending before Anti-Terror Tribunal. Visibly, the case has been stuck in absence of witnesses. According to the prosecution sources, in spite of issuing non-bailable warrant against the witnesses, they are not being able to be brought at the court, making the four-year old case to linger.

“The witnesses are not coming to testify before the court. Police is responsible to produce them before the court and I think in this case the law enforcing agency has to be more alert. I hope the case will get its momentum if the legal complexity created in this regard can be removed,” public prosecutor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said.

“The state is responsible for producing the witnesses before the court and as they are not being able to perform their duty, the proceeding of the case is going nowhere. The prosecution should produce the witnesses before court. The accused in the case are behind the bars before the trial has ended,” defence lawyer Faruk Ahammed said.

Two persons were killed and more than hundred were injured as several homemade grenades were blasted at the Shia Muslim community’s headquarters, Hussaini Dalan, in the old part of Dhaka city on October 23, 2015, during preparation of Tajia procession.

Sub-inspector Jalal Uddin of Chawk Bazar police station filed the case under Anti-terror Act over the incident.

On October 18, 2016, DB inspector Shafiuddin filed charge sheet against 10 accused.

Of the accused, Kabir Hossain, Jahid Hasan, Rubel Islam, Abu Sayeed, Arman and Masud are in jail. Hafez Ahsan Ullah Masud, Shah Jalal, Omar Faruk and Chan Miah are on bail.

 

risingbd/Dhaka/September 10, 2019/Mamun Khan/AI