Deposition against Sunny, 6 others ends

The cases, one under the Arms Act and another under the Explosive Substances Act, were filed with Sabujbagh Police Station on September 8 last year.

After cross-examination of all 27 prosecution witnesses, including complainants and investigation officers (IOs), Judge Mohammad Monzurul Bachhid of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka fixed June 12 for examining all the accused in the cases.

Earlier on April 20, the same court sentenced Sunny to 37 years' rigorous imprisonment in the arms case, as he pleaded guilty for possessing illegal firearms and ammunition during the time of framing charges against them.

The court began trial of the cases on June 5 with deposition of complainants and continued yesterday. Sunny himself cross-examined the witnesses.

The six other accused are AHM Shamim, 23, Zakaria alias Jewel, 21, Nur Azam Siddique alias Yeasir, 27, Belal Hossain alias Tamim, 21, Aleya Ferdous, 27, and Akramul Islam, 23.

The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested five of them at a house in East Bashabo on September 8 last year. Sunny rented the house to coordinate the August 17 countrywide serial blasts. Law enforcers believe he narrowly escaped arrest at that time.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against Sunny and six others in two cases on October 10 last year.

Sunny, younger brother of JMB chief Abdur Rahman and also a member of JMB's top tier Majlish-e-Shura, masterminded the August 17 blasts. He was arrested at Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute on December 13 last year.

Acting on his information, the elite force recovered huge arms and ammunition from another house rented by him at South Manda in the city.

Metropolitan Public Prosecutor (PP) Abdullah Mahmud Hassan and Assistant PP appeared for the state.