Trials could not go ahead as witnesses did not turn up

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Trials of five cases in connection with the August 17, 2005 series of bomb blasts could not resume in Satkhira on Thursday as the prosecution failed to produce the witnesses before the court.

The cases were sent back to Satkhira Judge’s Court by Khulna Speedy Trial Tribunal for trials in November last year.

Judge Mahbubul Alam of the Additional Session Judge’s Court in Satkhira scheduled February 14 for recording statements of the witnesses, asking the prosecution lawyers to take measures ensuring the presence of the witnesses before the court on that day.

Eleven out of 19 accused in the cases in connection with the series of five blasts, were produced before the court amid tight security on and around the court premises, court sources said.

The accused who were produced in the court were Nasir Uddin Dafadar, Monowar Hossain Ujjal, Maniruzzaman Munna, Nur Ali Member, Anisur Rahman Khokon, Gias Uddin, Mahbubur Rahman Liton, Billal Hossain, Asadul Haque, Ismail alias Habibur, and Rakib Hasan alias Russel.

Accused Montaz alias Momtaz, Abul Khair, Fakar Uddin, Nayeem, Syed alias Asaduzzaman have been absconding since the series of blasts in Satkhira town, sources said.

Banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, banned Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) chief Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai, and JMB military chief Ataur Rahman Sunny, who had also been charged in the cases, were excluded from them following their executions.

Soon after the series of blasts in Satkhira town on August 17, 2005, police filed five cases with Sadar police station.

They also arrested alleged JMB operative Nasir Uddin Dafadar of village Bakal Islampur and other alleged JMB operatives leading to the detection of JMB’s involvement in the series of bomb blasts across the country on August 17, 2005.

The investigation officer (IO) of the cases Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Munshi Atiquur Rahman of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted charge sheets in connection with the cases on April 4, 2006 against 19 people including the executed top leaders of now banned Islamist terrorist organisations JMB and JMJB.

All five of the cases filed with Sadar police station were later transferred to Khulna Speedy Trial Tribunal on June 21, 2006.

But, Judge Md Abdus Samad of the Speedy Trial Tribunal sent the cases back to Satkhira Judge’s Court in November 2007 as the prosecution had failed to produce their witnesses before the court on several dates scheduled for recording their statements, the court sources said.

The trials are delayed again as the prosecution failed to produce witnesses before the court yet again.

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