Special tribunal without judge for three months

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The Sylhet Divisional Special Tribunal has been without a judge for almost three months, which has greatly hampered trials of 26 sensational cases, including one for the grenade attack on the British high commissioner.

Judge Dipyoman Sarker of the tribunal was transferred to Jamalpur District Court on January 27 without any replacement.

The absence of a judge has caused sufferings to the litigants as days have been passing without any activity at the tribunal. Law enforcers, however, have to bring the detained accused to the court on trial dates as it is mandatory.

District and Sessions Judge Md Abdul Gafur has been in charge of the tribunal as an additional responsibility since the transfer of Judge Sarker.

Judge Gafur is just deferring the trial dates since a district judge cannot run trials at special tribunals unless he is given the responsibility through a gazette notification.

On February 25, the date for deposition in the case for grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury was deferred until March 2, court sources said.

The date has been deferred on six occasions since the transfer of Judge Sarker.

The trial would be delayed further and the fate of the case has become uncertain at a stage when examination of 53 of the 57 prosecution witnesses has been completed, the sources added.

The authorities also had to bring the chief and other operatives of Harkatul Jihad to the tribunal from Dhaka on trial dates despite knowing that there would be no activity.

Special Public Prosecutor of the tribunal Advocate Fokhor Uddin Ahmed acknowledged to The Daily Star yesterday that the fates of the 26 cases have become uncertain.

“Although these selected and highly sensational cases were transferred to the court for quicker disposal, things got reversed,” he said, adding, “Litigants have to return disappointed every day.

“The 30-day time extension in the grenade attack case ended on February 14 and we had to seek further extension,” Fokhor said.

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