Testimonies of DWs in Abrar murder trial deferred to April 18 amid Covid surge

 

Live Correspondent: A Dhaka special tribunal on Wednesday deferred the recording of the depositions of defence witnesses (DWs) to April 18 in a case lodged over the murder of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad.

Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 passed the order, considering the growing cases of Covid-19 in the country.

Earlier on March 4, testimony of prosecution witnesses ended in the case. Among the 60 prosecution witnesses 46 testified in the case.

On March 14, all the 22 accused out of the total 25, who are in jail, pleaded not guilty and of those, Mehedi Hasan Russel, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon and Istiak Ahammed Munna said they would like to produce witnesses to vouch for their innocence.

The tribunal on September 15, 2020, framed charges against all 25 accused in the case. Earlier on November 13, 2019, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court took into cognizance the charge-sheet in the case filed by Detective Branch (DB) of police against 25 accused.

The case was later transferred to the speedy trial tribunal, allowing a plea of Abrar’s father.

The 25 accused are– Mehedi Hasan Russel, Anik Sarker, Ifti Mosharraf Sakal, Md Mehedi Hasan Robin, Md Meftahul Islam Jeon, Muntassir Alam Jemmy, Khandaker Tabakkharul Islam Tanvir, Md Muzahidur Rahman, Muhtasim Fuad, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Md Akash Hossain, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Md Mazedul Islam, Shamim Billah, Moaj Abu Hurayra and ASM Nazmus Sadat, Istiak Ahammed Munna, Amit Saha, Md Mizanur Rahman alias Mizan, Shamsul Arefin Rafat, SM Mahmud Setu, Morsheduzzaman Jisan, Ehteshamul Rabbi Tanim, Morshed Amatya Islam and Mostaba Rafid. Of those Jisan, Rafid and Tanim are yet to be arrested and are tried in absentia.

According to the police, of the accused, 11 took part in the gruesome murder directly and the other played role in the crime one way or another. Of those arrested, eight have given confessional statements before the court.

BUET students and the university authorities found the seemingly lifeless body of Abrar, 22, on first-floor stairs of Sher-e-Bangla Hall and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where on-duty doctors declared him dead around 6.30 am on October 7, 2019. Abrar’s father filed the case with Chawkbazar Police Station against 19.

Dhaka, 31 March (campuslive24.com)//az

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