RAMNA BATAMUL TRIAL - Still need long way to establish Justice.

Spot-death on the incident of Ramna Batamul, 2001

The nation will commemorate the 10 anniversary of the well-planned deadly explosions at Ramna Batamul. In a well-planned attack on April 14, 2001, militants threw grenades into the crowd, killing at least 10 people and wounding 50 others, blowing limbs off spectators as thousands gathered at Ramna Batamul in the capital to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year's Day.

On the day of the incident, Nilkhet Police Camp sergeant Amal Chandra Chanda filed the two cases under killing and explosives acts with Ramna Police Station.

After the case had changed hands of six investigation officers, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf pressed charges in the court against 14 accused in the two cases on Nov 29, 2008.

The detained are Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan, Arif Hasan Sumaon, Shahadat Ullah Jewell, Hafez Maulana Abu Taher and Maulana Abdur Rauf. Maulana Akbar Hossain is on bail.

The case records say the two cases went to two speedy trial tribunals, yet the proceedings stalled. According to lawyers and records, the murder case failed to make headway due to absence of the investigation officer and other police officers.

The explosives case is waiting for a High Court directive.

As the case was not resolved within the stipulated 135 trial days due to the absence of the main witnesses, including the investigation officer, it went back to the Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court on May 24 last year.

    

Muhith's stance makes Ershad to stand against him.

"I don't understand why the names of those who devastated hundreds of thousands of small investors by looting money from the share market won't be made public officially."Jatyia Party chairman H M Ershad, a key ally of the ruling alliance, says he is surprised as the finance minister declined to disclose the names of those responsible for the recent share market debacle.

Hours after the stocks probe committee submitted the report to the finance minister on Thursday, Muhith declined to disclose the names that were mentioned in the report since the committee has recommended further investigation.

The deposed military dictator urged the government to give exemplary punishment of those responsible for the stocks crash and compensation for the investors who suffered the losses.

"The government will be in trouble if anyone responsible for the stocks debacle goes unpunished," he said.