A Bangladeshi court today granted police 45 more days to complete investigation into the 2004 ULFA weapon haul case, in which a top leader of the main opposition BNP is a key suspect.
A Bangladeshi court today granted police 45 more days to complete investigation into the 2004 ULFA weapon haul case, in which a top leader of the main opposition BNP is a key suspect.
The prosecution had sought for the "last time" the extended period. Metropolitan sessions judge AKM Shamsul Islam in Chittagong granted the time as the prosecutors said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) needed the time "reach concrete decisions on some crucial points" in the case linked to United Liberation Front of Asom.
"We hope this is the last petition we are submitting, seeking the extended time" for 13th time, public prosecutor Kamal Uddin told the court as CID officials said they nearly wrapped up their investigations while they also submitted their updated case dairy or docket before the judge.
But the court asked the CID officials to keep it informed of the new findings or developments of the investigations during the next 45 days while the prosecutor said the investigators would need to gather more evidence on the destination and origin of the consignment.
Uddin said the CID would also quiz another time a former director general of forces intelligence and review the suspected involvement of some civil officials in the process.
Detained former junior minister for home and influential member of former prime minister Khalida Zia's past Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) Lutfuzzaman Babar is a key suspect of the case.
Ten truck loads of weapons were seized in Bangladesh's biggest ever arms haul while the consignment was destined to northeastern India for separatist ULFA.
The court officials said the judge blasted the case's investigation officers questioning their competence as the prosecution sought for 12th time last month more time to complete the "further investigation".
"How dare you appeared in the court without the case docket (documents). What are you doing taking the extra time for the investigation," Islam said at that time but the extended time was granted today as the CID officials submitted the 40-page case diary containing the investigation details.
The court at that time also criticised the state appointed lawyer in the case for the delay as he apparently tried to defend the officer saying the extended time was needed as the prosecution and investigators required to proceed with caution because "very influential people of different quarters" were involved in the case.
"Like the (Hindu) Goddess Durga, this case too have 10 hands, which are very strong. Very influential quarters of the then (BNP-led) government were involved in it who are to be brought to justice with caution," the chief prosecution lawyer told the court at that time.
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