A decade of delay, trial stuck at witness stage

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:25 AM

A decade of delay, trial stuck at witness stage

Bangla Press Desk: Twelve years on, the murder trial of Dhaka South Jubo League leader Riazul Haque Khan Milky remains stalled at the witness testimony stage, with justice still a distant promise. According to court officials, the high-profile killing case remains stuck, with sporadic witness attendance cited as the main reason behind the years-long delay. On the night of 29 July 2013, the Jubo League leader was brazenly gunned down outside a Gulshan shopping mall—an assassination that sent shockwaves through the heart of the capital. Court officials revealed that many witnesses continue to ignore summons, stalling progress, while even defence lawyers are now calling for a speedy trial in the decade-old case.

Mentionable, the case was transferred to Dhaka's Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 in March 2022 to accelerate proceedings. Yet, testimony has been recorded from only 7 of the 75 listed witnesses. According to court sources, a witness testimony was scheduled for 17 July, but no witness appeared in court. The next witness testimony is scheduled for 21 August. Previously, on 3 July 2024, two witnesses -- Mohammad Ziaur Rahman and Huzur Ali -- gave their statements, bringing the total number of testimonies to seven. Serajul Huq Faisal, a defence lawyer representing three of the accused, expressed dissatisfaction over the prolonged delays in recording witness testimony.

He said, “Even after summons are issued, witnesses are not appearing. The most recently summoned witness—a doctor involved in the case—was also absent.” “So far, only 7 witnesses have testified, though at least 20 to 25 should be heard. But the process isn’t moving forward. We also want this to be completed soon.” Public Prosecutor Md Abdul Noor Bhuiyan (Babul) stated, “Since I took charge, no new witness has testified. The prosecution is trying its best to bring in witnesses and conclude the trial, but the lack of cooperation from witnesses is lingering the process.” A total of 18 individuals are accused in the case named-- Sakhawat Hossain Chanchal, Aminul Islam alias Habib, Sohel Mahmud alias Sohel Bhuiyan, Chunnu Mia, Arif alias Arif Hossain, Shahidul Islam, Ibrahim Khalilullah, Jahangir Mondal, Fahima Islam Lopa, Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, Sharif Uddin Chowdhury alias Pappu, Tuhin Rahman Fahim, Syed Mujtaba Ali alias Rumi, Mohammad Rashed Mahmud alias Ali Hossain Rashed alias Mahmud, Saidul Islam alias Nuruzzaman, Sujon Hawlader, Dr Dewan Md Fariuddoula alias Pappu, and Mamunur Rashid. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.

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[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]