Kibria Killing Case

Court orders CID to submit probe report by Oct 13

13 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet.

Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial tribunal yesterday asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit the report on further investigation into former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case to the court by October 13. CID's senior ASP Munshi Atiqur Rahman, the then investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted a petition to the tribunal on March 7, 2007, seeking further investigation into the case. As Munshi went into retirement after a few months, CID's ASP Md Rafiqul Islam was given the task. Former finance minister SAMS Kibria, his nephew Advocate Shah Manzurul Huda, local AL leaders Abdur Rahim, Abul Hossain and Siddique Ali were killed in a grenade attack on a public rally at Baidderbazar under Habiganj Sadar upazila on January 27, 2005. Immediately after the incident, police filed a case with Habiganj Sadar Police Station. Local Awami League leader Advocate Abdul Majid Khan (now AL lawmaker from Habiganj) also filed a case in connection with the grenade attack with the same police station. Munshi Atique submitted a charge sheet in the case to a Habiganj court against ten people on March 20 the same year. As complainant Abdul Majid Khan filed a 'naraji' petition against the charge sheet, the magistrate rejected petition and fixed May 10 for hearing of the case. Before the hearing, the case was shifted to the Speedy Trial Tribunal and the then Judge Biplob Goswami also rejected the complainant's 'naraji' petition against the charge sheet. The complainant then went to the High Court that stayed the case proceedings. However, the high Court order staying the trial process of the case was vacated in December last year. In the charge sheet, Habiganj BNP Vice-President Abdul Quaiyum was made principal accused. The other accused were, Zainal Abedin, Jamir Ali, Momin Ali, Tajul Islam, Shahed Ali, Chhondu Miah, Selim Ahmed, Enayet Ali and Muhibur Rahman. Eight of the accused, including Abdul Quaiyum, were later released on bail. Abdul Quaiyum and other accused at a press conference in the capital claimed that they had been falsely implicated in the case by some influential quarters. Rejecting the charge sheet, Kibria's wife Asma Kibria and son Reza Kibria also demanded fresh investigation into the killing.