Nasim testifies in Manzur murder case

Dhaka, Oct 28 (bdnews24.com) – Former army chief Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim and another witness has testified in Major General Manzur's murder case.

After their statements were recorded on Thursday, counsellors cross-examined the accused, including former president and chief martial law administrator H M Ershad, at the special court set up on Nazimuddin Road in Dhaka.

Judge Mohammad Borhanuddin fixed Nov 24 as the next date for testimony recording.

Till Thursday, testimonies of 24 witnesses, out of 49 in favour of the state, have been recorded.

According to the case details, Major Kazi Emdadul brought Gen Muhammad Abul Manzur to Chittagong Cantonment from police custody on June 1, 1981, immediately following the assassination of president Ziaur Rahman, and later killed him there.

Manzur was blamed as the main man responsible for Zia's assassination in Chittagong.

His brother Barrister Abul Mansur Ahmed filed a case with Panchlais Police Station in Chittagong on Feb 28, 1995, after 14 years of the incident.

Apart from Ershad, charged accused are Major (retired) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt Col (retired) Mostafa Kamaluddin Bhuiyan, Lt Col (retired) Sams and Major Gen (retired) Abdul Latif. They all are now on bail.

The then assistant police superintendent Abdul Kahar Akand on July 15 the same year pressed charges against the accused.

Additional public prosecutor Sahidur Rahman avoided waiting reporters after the court proceeding.

A lawyer for the accused said earlier that the two main political rivals of the country – BNP and Awami League – were not interested to get the case disposed of during their previous tenure as former president Ershad was one of the accused in the case.

He said the state is reluctant to hasten the case proceeding this time too as Ershad's political party – Jatiya Party – is one of the partners of the present Awami League-led grand alliance government.

Three people have given testimonies during the present government that assumed office in January last year, the lawyer said.

According to him, most of the witnesses in the case are government employees and they are now not found in their addresses mentioned in the charge-sheet.

In such as situation, the court summoned the witnesses by collecting their present addresses from the ministries concerned. But the police sent back the summons to the court saying that the witnesses were not been found.

Some of the witnesses, however, are seen in live television talk-shows, he lawyer said.

Earlier, Dhaka metropolitan additional public prosecutor Mohammad Saidur Rahman said: "We sent summons and warrants to the witnesses. The police, however, have sent report that the witnesses were not found. What can we do?"

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