Dhaka, Sept 19 (BDNEWS) – All the 40 accused in sub-inspector Hasanul Haq Farhad killing case were freed by the trial court Monday, 11 years after the police officer was killed during a gunfight between rival groups of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) on the Jagannath College campus.
Setting free the accused, all belonging to JCD, the student front of ruling BNP at that time, Dhaka's second metropolitan sessions judge Rabiul Hasan in the verdict said no evidence and witnesses were proved against them.
Among the accused, Juba Dala leader Sagir, who was the leader of one faction of the JCD at the college, has been killed recently. Kajal, leader of another JCD faction, is an absconding accused in the killing case of an old Dhaka businessman and his son.
Apart from Kajal, 18 were also tried in absentia. His two brothers were also accused in the case. Of them, Sirajul Islam Faruk remained absconding and Azizul Islam Babul was on the dock.
The same accused were also freed from another case of explosives filed in connection with the incident of murder of the police officer.
On-duty SI Farhad was killed when the armed activists sprayed bullets at him when he caught Sirajul Haq Ripon along with a weapon during the gunfight between the rival groups of the JCD on Jagannath College campus on March 5, 1994.
The accused freed from the charge are: Sirajul Islam Faruk (absconding), Azizul Islam Babul, Kazi Faruk Lavlu (absconding), Rasel Ahmed Billal, Enamul Haq Biplob, Mohsin Hossain Jewel, Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, AS Zaman Khan Ashish (absconding), Shamim Ahmed (absconding), Rezaul Haq Majid, Shahiduzzaman (absconding), Rafiqul Islam Henry (absconding), Alauddin (absconding), Monir Hossain Monir, Sirajul Haq Ripon (absconding), Kawsar Ali, Mohammad Babul, Emran Hossain Patwari, Dewan Mahbubur Rahman, Jahangir (absconding), Kazi Noor Kaiyum (absconding), SM Bulbul Ahmed (absconding), Abdus Samad Bengal, M Abdul Awal, Ripon alias Tegra Ripon alias Abu Bakar, Sukhendra Chandra Sutradhar, Abdul Hamid, M Shahabuddin, Javed Kamal (absconding), Momin, Abdus Samad (absconding), Gorda Babul, Mustafizur Rahman Babul (absconding), GM Haider Sajjad (absconding), Abdus Sattar (absconding), Mirajul Gaffar Rontu (absconding), Shafiqul Islam Chunnu (absconding), Azad Rahman Azad, Sagir Ahmed Liton (dead) and Rafiqul Islam Kajal (absconding).
The then OC of Kotwali thana, Majibul Haq had filed a case accusing 52 JCD activists. The chargesheet was submitted on November 8, the same year of the killing case against 40 people.
The trial court took statements of 23 witnesses.
After judgement, the freed accused embraced each other and left the court premises amidst a procession.
The state counsels did not supply any copy of the verdict to journalists as they do in other cases.
The newsmen were also not allowed to see copy of the judgement at the courtroom.
No relative of SI Farhad was seen in the courtroom during the verdict.
BDNEWS/2027 hrs
