Court delays framing charges in Kibria murder case again

Hearing on charge framing in the case over the murder of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria has been pushed back again as all the accused could not be produced before court on Monday.

Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal has setAug 10 for framing murder charges.

Special Public Prosecutor Kishore Kumar Kar said the court ordered prison officials to bring all the 32 before it on that day.

Charge framing in the case was deferred on the same grounds on July 6, 14 and 23.

Kar said former Sylhet City mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury could not be produced before court because of his illness.

Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar could not be taken to court as he was scheduled to appear before other courts, he said.

Among the 32 accused in the case, eight are now out on bail and 14 are in jail pending trial while the rest are absconding.

Kar said five, who are in jail including Habiganj Municipality Mayor GK Gaus, and all the eight who are out on bail were present before court on Monday.

On Jan 27, 2005, Kibria was fatally wounded in a grenade attack while he was returning from a rally in Habiganj Sadar. He died on the way to Dhaka.

His nephew Shah Monjurul Huda, Awami League leaders Abdur Rahim, Abul Hossain and Siddique Ali were also killed.

Over 100 party activists were also injured in the attack.

That very night, the then general secretary of the Habiganj Awami League unit, Abdul Majid Khan, filed two cases over the attacks – one over the killings and the other over use of explosives.

After three investigations, the case’s investigation officer, Sylhet's ASP Meherun Nesa Parul, submitted a supplementary chargesheet to the court on Dec 21, 2014.

She accused 35 persons including BNP chief Khaleda Zia's former political secretary Harris Chowdhury, Ariful Haq and Gaus.

The court sent them to jail while the government temporarily removed them from the offices of mayor.

The case was forwarded to the speedy trial tribunal from the Habiganj District and Sessions Judges Court on June 3.