FIRs and charge-sheets faulty, says counsel of accused

Twenty-four soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles, now renamed Border Guards Bangladesh, who are facing charges of murder and other criminal offences committed during the February 2009 rebellion at the paramilitary headquarters in Dhaka, on Tuesday demanded reinvestigation into the case on the plea that the First Information Reports and the charge-sheets were faulty.

They made the plea during the hearing of the framing of charges in the case in the makeshift courtroom of the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge, set up in Aliya Madrassah at Bakshi Bazaar in the capital.

Their counsel Faruk Ahmed told the court that 2,307 mutiny suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in the carnage and 1,504 of them lost their jobs.

Their arrest, without presenting adequate evidence against them and sacking them before trial, were illegal, he contended.

Faruk argued that 62 spots were mentioned in the charge-sheet, but it was not mentioned who committed crimes at which spot and what kind of crimes were committed.

A charge-sheet needs to specify the type of offences, the offenders and the places of the commission of the offences, he contended.

He also argued that the First Information Report did not mention that a delegation of the soldiers held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had announced a general amnesty for the rebels.

The Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge, Mohammad Zahurul Haque, began the hearing amidst tight security at about 9:45am and continued till 3:25pm with a 30-minute break.

The court adjourned the proceedings till July 13.

Till Tuesday, 395 accused soldiers have argued through their lawyers against the framing of charges against them since May 23.

The Criminal Investigation Department of the police filed two cases — one under the Penal Code for murder, arson, robbery and other crimes, and the other under the Explosive Substances Act for illegally taking up arms — against 850 BDR personnel and civilians.

Three of the accused have died in the meanwhile and released from the charge.

Of the accused, 828 including former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and Awami League leader Torab Ali, a retired Subedar, were present in the courtroom on Tuesday.

Twenty-one have been absconding till date.

Source : New Age