Bangabandhu murder case verdict today
Security beefed up, police to show zero tolerance

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) pronounces judgment in the long-pending Bangabandhu Murder Case at 11am today (Thursday) under a security blanket covering the highest court precincts, reports UNB.

Security also has been beefed up in the capital and elsewhere in the country ahead of the final verdict in the case against condemned former army officers.

On November 12, Justice M Tafazzul Islam, who heads a five-member appellate bench of the SC, set the date for judgment after formally closing the appeal hearings from both the defense and the state sides for 29 working days.

The appeals were filed by five ex-army officers waiting on death row in a bid to overturn the High Court judgment that had confirmed the trial-court death sentences of twelve, acquitting three in the case of murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Earlier, the Appellate Division had exhausted 26 working days on granting leave applications filed by the condemned prisoners in jail. The leave was granted on September 23, 2007.

As the grand-alliance government led by Awami League paved the way for resolving the impasse due to shortage of judges, the hearing on the long-pending appeals of the ex-army offi-cers began on October 5 amid tight security.

The appellants are Lt Col (sacked) Syed Faruque Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col (retd) Muhiuddin Ahmed (Artillery), Maj (retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed (lancer) and Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda.

At the crack of dawn on August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members, except his two daughters - incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, were massacred by a splinter group of the armed forces.

Death sentences against twelve of the convicts were upheld in the High Court's final verdict delivered on April 30, 2001.

Meanwhile, an FE report adds: The police have put in place a three-tier security ring in the capital as elsewhere in the country, to ensure law and order on November 19, the date of the delivery of the verdict of the much-awaited Bangabandhu murder case.

Additional law enforcers have already been deployed at various key installations in the city, including court premises, diplomatic zone, jails, Dhaka University campus and residences of judges, counsels and others involved in the case.

On November 12, Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, who led the appeals hearings of the murder case for the past two months, has set November 19 as the date for judgement after defence lawyers concluded their arguments.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court would pronounce the verdict at 11:00am Thursday for which the whole nation had been waiting for the last 34 years.

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad told reporters at his office that police would show zero tolerance to the trouble-mongers for the sake of public security.

"We've chalked out a three-tier security arrangement," he said and added, "Instructions have been given to all the police officials to remain watchful round-the-clock to prevent any possible lawlessness."

The police chief said that they have no information of any plan of sabotage or attack. But they have adopted the top-level security measures considering the past experiences the nation had witnessed like on August 21 grenade attack on the Awami League rally in 2004 and bomb blast on Pahela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year in 2001 that killed a number of people.

As per the heightened security measure in the capital, a number of close circuit cameras (CCTVs) were installed at various key points around the Supreme Court as well as inside the central jail to closely monitor overall situation prevailing there.