ACC lawyer Kajol in Aug 21 grenade attack cases prosecution team

The government has appointed ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol to the prosecution team dealing with two Aug 21 grenade attack cases to speed up trials.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 Oct 2014, 02:06 PM
Updated : 15 Oct 2014, 02:06 PM

He will assist Chief Prosecutor Syed Rejaur Rahman.

Law ministry's Solicitor Wing made the appointment on Wednesday to hasten the trials, said chief prosecutor of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court Abdullah Abu.

Kajol's appointment takes the total number of prosecutors in the cases to 13.

At least 24 people were killed and over a hundred, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, then the Opposition Leader, were injured in the bomb attack on Aug 21, 2004 on an Awami League rally.

Then prime minister Khaleda Zia's eldest son Tarique Rahman and several of her Cabinet colleagues have been implicated in two cases filed over the incident.

On Tuesday, a defence refusal to cross-examine Jalal Ahmed alias Joj Mia as a witness halted the hearing in the cases.

Newly-appointed prosecution member Kajol said he would assist the state to resume recording testimony overcoming the 'complexities' surrounding Mia.

Chief Prosecutor Rahman said other prosecution team members apart from two of his junior lawyers and Chief Public Prosecutor of Dhaka's District and Sessions Judge, Khandker Abdul Mannan, did not regularly take part in the cases' hearing.

However, his two junior lawyers are not prosecution members.

Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 is hearing the cases at a special courtroom set up in the Dhaka Central Jail.

Judge Shahed Nur Uddin has fixed Oct 21 and 22 for recording testimonies.