The prosecution yesterday drew flak from the court for its failure to submit any progress report on arrest of Tarique Rahman and 11 others in August 21 grenade attack cases.
Also, the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court directed heads of different police stations to submit by August 11 their reports on the execution of warrant against the 12, who are yet to be held.
An additional public prosecutor on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star police negligence in submitting reports on execution of warrants for their arrest would delay the start of trial.
Meantime, pro-BNP lawyers yesterday brought out a procession on the court premises, demanding withdrawal of names of BNP's Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique and other leaders from the grenade attack cases.
Earlier on Monday, another Dhaka court asked Tarique to appear before it on August 8 in connection with a money laundering case.
Tarique, also the elder son of former premier Khaleda Zia, and the 11 are among the charge-sheeted accused in two cases filed following the attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.
The court on July 14 issued arrest warrant against Tarique and 11 others in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act.
Also yesterday, thirty-one accused including Lutfozzaman Babar, former state minister for home; Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general; Abdus Salam Pintu, former BNP deputy minister; the three former inspectors general of police and three former CID officials and Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan were produced before the court during a hearing.
Another accused, Ariful Islam Arif, a ward councillor of Dhaka City Corporation and now out on bail, was also present in the court.
Judge Mohammad Zahurul Hoque asked Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief counsel for the grenade attack cases, to explain why they failed to place the reports and he got no satisfactory answer.
The court further asked the prosecution why police were making so much delay in submitting reports on the execution of the arrest order while it takes only two to three days.
It also rejected the bail petitions of eight accused including three top police officers--Ashraful Huda, Khoda Baksh Chowdhury and Shahudul Haque--and three former CID officials who probed the cases earlier and reportedly forced Joj Miah, a Noakhali youth, to make false confessional statements.
The court will hear the bail petition, submitted on behalf of Babar, on August 11.
On July 3, a metropolitan magistrate's court issued arrest warrants against 18 accused in a murder case lodged for killing 24 Awami League leaders and workers in the gruesome attack.
Earlier that day, the Criminal Investigation Department submitted supplementary charge sheets in the August 21 blast cases, accusing 30 including the 18.
The CID on June 11, 2008, submitted charge sheets in the cases against 22 people, including Pintu and 21 Huji men.
Source : The Daily Star
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