Ramna Batamul blast verdict today

The verdict in the murder case filed in connection with the 2001 Ramna Batamul bomb blasts that killed at least 10 people in the morning of Pahela Baishakh will be delivered today (Monday).Earlier, on May 28, the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Ruhul Amin set Monday for delivering judgement following the completion of arguments from the prosecution and defence. In the morning of April 14, 2001, at least 10 people were killed and scores injured in a bomb attack at Ramna Park where people gathered to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla year. In this connection Police Sergeant Amal Chanda, of Babupura police outpost filed two cases with Ramna Police Station, one for murder and another underexplosive substances act on that day.During the investigation, accused Arif Hasan Suman made a confessiona statement before the first class magistrate under section 164 of Cr.Pc. as Mawlana Tajuddin, brother of former state minister of the BNP regime, was the mastermind of the Ramna Batamul blast. Mufti Abdul Hannan and Mawlana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, leaders of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (HUJI) also gave confessional statements before magistrates that under their leadership, the HUJI’s people committed the crime.After changing six investigation officers (IO), lastly Inspector Abu Hena Md Yusof of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted the charge sheets in both cases accusing 14 top leaders of banned HUJI on December 30, 2008.The charge-sheeted accused are Mufti Abdul Hannan, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mawlana Yahiya, Mufti Abdul Hye, Mawlana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Mawlana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Mawlana Mohammad Tajuddin, Mawlana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Arif Hasan Suman, Mawlana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Mawlana Abu Taher, Mawlana Abdur Rouf, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar and Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel.Nine accused including Mufti Abdul Hannan are behind the bar while five accused including Mawlana Tajuddin, brother of former state minister of the BNP regime, Abdus Salam Pintu are on the run.The trial court framed murder charges against the 14 accused on April 16, 2009.Sixty-one prosecution witnesses out of 84 were testified by the court and the trial was ended on May 5 through the deposition of the investigation officer, inspector Abu Hena Md Yusof.Additional police were deployed on the court premises during the pronouncement judgement to avoid any untoward incident.The other case under the explosive substances act is pending with the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 in Dhaka as the tribunal is waiting for opinion of the High court registrar’s on what process would follow to start trial.