Banskhali Carnage Case Trial Begins May 15
Victims, witnesses fear attack
Panic-stricken victims and witnesses of the 2003 Banskhali arson, which left 11 members of a Hindu family dead, are passing their days with fear of attack as trial of the case opens on May 15.
Terror has overcome the people as the prime accused, BNP leader and local UP chairman Aminur Rahman Chowdhury alias Amin Chairman, is not indicted and now on bail.
A Chittagong court changed the charges in the Banskhali killing and indicted 37 people on April 19, excluding Amin due to a High Court stay order on any proceedings against him.
Amin was charged earlier, totalling the number of the accused 38.
The victims shared their fear with a group of state lawyers, who, led by Chittagong district Public Prosecutor (PP) Abul Hashem, visited the "place of occurrence" yesterday as part their preparation ahead of the recording of the witnesses' deposition on May 15.
The victims however were happy over the framing of charge newly as "planned killing to establish supremacy with a view to gaining property illegally" instead of the previous charge of "arson, robbery, and killing".
On November 18, 2003, a group of attackers torched the house of Tejendra Shil in Sadhanpur union of Banshkhali upazila, 30 miles off Chittagong city, burning alive 11 of the 12-member family, including a four-day-old infant. Bimal Shil, the second son of Tejendra, escaped the fire as lone survivor.
Bimal said change in the charge would help ensure justice. He blamed the then authorities for diverting the motive of the killing by describing it as a robbery.
He said the mastermind of the killing, Amin Chairman, was an influential person and was trying to get rid of the trial.
PP Abul Hashem, however, assured the victims of taking proper steps regarding the security of the witnesses.
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