The investigation was delayed by 10 years. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police investigated the case thrice.  The depositions of 43 witnesses among 171 have been recorded, said Special public prosecutor of the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal Sarwar Ahmed Chowdhury Abdal.

“Charges were framed on October 22, 2020 in the case filed under The Explosives Act,” he said.

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He said that people accused in the case are also accused in militant attack related cases. Some of them were convicted by various courts and are in jail. Many of them could not be produced before the court during the hearing which delayed the trial proceedings.

“Besides, among the accused people, Mufti Abdul Hannan, Sharif Sahedul Alom alias Bipul and Delwar Hossain Ripon were executed in another case,” he said.

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Meanwhile, nine accused including Begum Khaleda Zia’s former political secretary Harris Chowdhury are still fugitive. Besides, nine including Sylhet City Corporation‘s mayor Arif Chowdhury and Habiganj municipality’s former mayor GK Gaus are out on bail.

On January 27, 2005, Kibria, his nephew Shah Manzurul Huda, several local Awami League leaders were killed and around 70 including incumbent Habiganj-3 constituency parliamentarian Abu Jahir and others were injured in a grenade attack on a rally at Baidyer Bazar Government Primary School in Sadar upazila of Habiganj.

Abdul Majid Khan had filed two cases – one over the killings and the other under the Explosives Act – on that very night.

After three rounds of probe, the investigation officer, Sylhet’s ASP (CID) Meherun Nesa Parul filed supplementary chargesheet against 32 persons by including 11 new names on Dec 21, 2014.

She accused 35 persons including Harris, the then Sylhet Mayor Ariful and Habiganj Mayor Gaus.