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Pintu, Taher remanded again
[Bangla Daily Star] BNP leader and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and Harkatul Jihad (Huji) member Maulana Abu Taher were placed on remand to identify collectors and suppliers of Arges grenades used in the August 21 carnage on Bangabandhu Avenue.Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Shahadat Hossain placed Pintu and Taher on three-day remand each as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday produced them before his court with separate remand prayers. The CID sought ten-day remand for Pintu and five-day remand for Taher even though they were taken on different terms of remand for interrogation. Defence lawyers Masud Ahmed Talukder and Sanaullah Miah filed petitions for cancelling the remand prayers saying the prosecution submitted fresh remand prayers to harass their clients and implicate several BNP leaders. After hearing both sides, the court rejected the defence's prayer and placed the accused on fresh remand. The remand prayers came following a further investigation into the case filed by the prosecution on June 25 this year to trace suppliers of Arges grenade that were used in the attack on August 21, 2004. In the forwarding report, newly appointed investigation officer Additional Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akond said they need to remand the accused to find out clues when and why they held a meeting at Pintu's government residence before committing the offences. On August 3, a Dhaka court ordered further investigation into the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally, stating that the probe conducted earlier could not identify the collectors and suppliers of grenades. The court also ordered the inspector general of police to conduct the investigation and submit the report to the court within two months. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina had narrowly escaped the attack but 23 of her party leaders and workers died and over 300 were injured. The eight absconding accused are Pintu's brothers Tajuddin and Maulana Liton, Anisul Mursalin and his brother Mahibul Muttakin, Iqbal, Maulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Howlader, Jahangir Alam Badar and Khalilur Rahman. The CID, which had misdirected the investigation during BNP-Jamaat-led four-party rule, finally pressed charges in June last year accusing Pintu and 21 Huji members including its top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan. Posted by: Fred 2009-10-02 |
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