The trial of the two cases of the country’s unparalleled multi-dimensional and unconventional writer and literature Humayun Azad has not been completed although 17 years have passed since the assassination.
The two cases related to the murder of Humayun Azad are pending in the court of Dhaka’s 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Makshuda Parveen.
Among the cases, in the murder case, the defense is in the stage of clearing testimony and in the explosives case, testimony is being taken. If the defendant does not testify in the murder case, a date will be fixed for the verdict of the case after the presentation of arguments. Of the 57 witnesses in the murder case, 41, including the investigating officer, testified. And 10 people have testified in the case of explosives law.
The prosecution believes that it has been able to prove the evidence against the accused in the murder case.
They hope that soon the day will be set for the verdict of the case and the accused will be given the maximum punishment.
On 26 February 2004, Humayun Azad was the victim of a terrorist attack in front of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission in Dhaka. He was seriously injured. The day after the incident, Humayun Azad’s brother Manzur Kabir filed a murder case with Ramna Police Station. He was treated at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for 22 days and at the Bankok for 48 days. He died on August 12 of the same year while undergoing treatment in Munich in Germany. After the death of Humayun Azad, the case turned into a murder case.
Six years after the incident, on April 30, 2012, CID inspector Lutfar Rahman submitted charge sheet against the five accused in two separate cases under the Murder and Explosives Act.
The accused in the case are JMB Shura member Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaj alias Shafiq, Anwar Alam alias Bhagne Shahid, Salehin alias Salahuddin, Hafiz Mahmud and Nur Mohammad alias Sabu. Among them Minhaj and Anwar are in jail. Both of them made confessional statements under section 164 in the court regarding their involvement in the incident. Saladin and Nur Mohammad are escaped and Hafiz is dead.
Abdullah Abu, public prosecutor in the Dhaka Metropolitan Court, hopes the murder case will come up for verdict soon after the trial.
He said the day has been set for the defense to testify. If the accused do not testify at a later date, a date will be fixed for presentation of arguments. After that the verdict of the case will be announced.
“We have been able to prove the allegations made by the state against the accused,” he said, hoping that the accused would get the maximum punishment. We are optimistic about their maximum punishment.
Regarding the explosives case, Abdullah Abu said, “Testimony in the explosives case is going on.” We are working to bring witnesses to court.