Mymensingh Cinema Tragedy
No progress after charge sheet
Peshajibi Samannoy Parishad organises a human chain in Mymensing yesterday, demanding trial of culprits behind cinema hall blasts in the town in 2002.Photo: STAR
The Coordination Body of Professional Groups yesterday formed a human chain on Ram Babu Road in front of Shaheed Firoz-Jahangir Square here to mark the 5th Cinema Hall Tragedy Day. Twenty-one people were killed and many others injured in a series of bomb blasts in four cinema halls named Aloka, Chhayabani, Ajanta and Purabi on December 7, 2002. Twenty people became disabled and are leading a sub-human life with their families. None came forward to rehabilitate them. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted charge sheets against three militants of banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in connection with four cases filed with No 1 Cognizance Court on October 8. CID pressed eight charges in two cases, one under Explosives Act and the other under Penal Code. First Class Magistrate Shefali Begum accepted the charge sheets. The accused are JMB Regional Commander of Mymensingh, Sylhet and Dhaka North Salah Uddin alias Salehin alias Sajib alias Sohel alias Tawhid hailing from Narayanganj, Zahidul Islam alias Suman alias Mizan alias Bomb Mizan hailing from Jamalpur and Anwar Hossain alias Anwar Alam alias Khoka alias Shaheed alias Bhagina Shaheed hailing from Thakurgoan. Of the three, Salah Uddin is now in Dhaka Central Jail and two others are on the run. Salah Uddin, an accused in 14 cases, was awarded death sentence for killing Gani Gomez and Hriday Sarker. The murder cases were filed with a court in Jamalpur. Both Mizan and Anwar Hossain are accused in 14 cases. Four cases were lodged with Kotwali Police Station. The cases were transferred to CID on December 12, 2002. However, after arrest of one of the prime accused, Salah Uddin from Pahartali in Chittagong in 2006, the motive behind the blasts started revealing. He was handed over to CID on May 7, 2006. From there, he was shifted to Jamalpur for interrogation. During interrogation, he confessed to his guilt saying they chalked out the plan to attack the halls. Before going into action led by Salah Uddin, they held a meeting at a house on College Road in the town. Shaheed, Mizan, Masud and Kamal were present at the meeting. Salah Uddin gave a confessional statement at a First Class Magistrate Court under Section 164 on June 12, 2006.
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