All suspects in BCL leader Sinaul murder acquitted after 28 years

The charges against them could not be proven, an officer says

A Chattogram court has acquitted all five suspects in the 1997 killing of Government City College Chhatra League leader Sinaul Haque Ashiq in Chattogram’s Mehedibagh.

Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Mizanur Rahman issued the verdict on Monday, 28 years after the killing.

Bench Assistant Md Shahed Kabir told bdnews24.com, “Six people testified in the case. Four of them told the court that they knew nothing about the incident. The five suspects have been acquitted as the charges were not proven.”

The acquitted suspects are Tinku Dutta, Salauddin, Taslim Uddin, Shahnewaz, and Md Hossain.

Tinku, Salauddin and Taslim were present in the court when the verdict was announced, and the rest are absconding.

Ashiq was the assistant general secretary of the Government City College Students' Council.

According to the case dossier, Ashiq was shot and killed on the spot while leaving a wedding ceremony in Mehedibagh on Jul 6, 1997. Another person with him named Habib was also shot.

Sinaul’s father Abul Kashem filed a case with Panchlaish Model Police Station. After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet in court against eight people, including former councillor and Omargani MES College Students’ Council vice-president Wasim Uddin Chowdhury.

Shahed said the names of three accused, including Wasim, were withdrawn from the case on the home ministry’s recommendation in 2011 during the Awami League regime.