Laldighi killing: No verdict after nearly three decades

The police firing that left 24 dead before an Awami League rally in Chittagong’s Laldighi 29 years ago has not yet led to a judicial verdict.

The prosecutor however hopes to get one this year.

Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, was travelling to the rally site when police began firing on her motorcade.

At least 24 died in the unprovoked assault on Jan 24, 1988, during the regime of former military dictator HM Ershad.

The monument for the victims is covered in dust.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain, in his testimony before court on June 26 last year, described the attack as an “attempt to assassinate Sheikh Hasina.”

Hossain, who hails from the port city, said lady luck saved Hasina.

The attack was ordered by Rakibul Huda, then Chittagong’s police commissioner, he said.   

Many Awami League leaders who were key witnesses in the case have died.

Also dead are the case’s plaintiff, lawyer Md Shahidul Huda, Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Kader, who was its last investigating officer and accused police constable, Bashir Uddin.

Delayed by four years

A truck carrying Sheikh Hasina was fired at while it was nearing the Chittagong court around 1am, Awami League adviser Dr Anupam Sen told court on May 26.

“I remember so many wriggling in pain after being hit. I saw some trying to save themselves. I later heard that 24 have died.”

The lawyers created a human shield around Hasina and escorted her to the lawyer’s association building, he said.

Sen said the government at that time did not hand over the victims’ bodies to the families.

The bodies of the Mulims and Hindus were all burnt at a cremation ground at Baluar Dighi.

Lawyer Md Shahidul Huda filed the case in 1992 after Ershad, now Jatiya Party chief, was deposed through a mass movement.

But the case did not proceed under the BNP government that followed.  

41 testify in 20 years

The case was revived after the Awami League came to government in 1996.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was ordered by court to probe the killing. It filed the first charge sheet on Jan 12, 1997.

The second charge sheet filed on Nov 3, 1998, following extended probe, named eight police personnel.   

The accused are then police commissioner Mirza Rakibul Huda, Kotwali Zone Patrol Inspector JC Mandal and constables Abdus Salam, Mushfiqur Rahman, Pradip Barua, Bashir Uddin, Md Abdullah and Mamtaj Uddin.

So far, 41 have testified during 20 years of trial. There were two depositions in 1997 and 1998. In the 17 years following 2000, 39 testified. 

The case got six testimonies after it was transferred to the divisional Special Judges court in 2016. 

“No deposition was heard in the case for a long time due to lack of supervision,” state prosecutor Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury told bdnews24.com. 

“The case came to this court on Jan 20 last year. Six witnesses were heard in the four hearings that took place in a year."

There were no depositions in the period between May, 2001 and August, 2006. The same happened between July, 2009 and January, 2016.

The key witnesses in the case were Sheikh Hasina, senior leaders Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain, Sajeda Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak, MA Jalil, MA Mannan, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu and Ataur Rahman Kaiser.

The last five passed away in the last few years.

“The second charge sheet named 70 witnesses. Of them 41 have already testified. We’ll not get more witnesses. Nine persons including relatives of the victims will testify when the next hearing is held on Jan 31. We’ll move the court so that the political witnesses are also summoned on that day” said the prosecutor.  

“I’ll talk to my appointing authority (law minister) to find out the procedure for hearing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s testimony.”