Judgement in Udichi blast cases today

The earlier date for the delivery of the verdict was May 30 but it was deferred as the judge needed more legal explanation and arguments from both prosecution and defence lawyers.

On May 30, the judge said while examining the documents he encountered a number of legal complexities which could be clarified with more legal explanations and arguments from the lawyers of the state and the accused. He fixed today to deliver the verdict of the cases after both prosecution and defence lawyers made their closing arguments yesterday.

The police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel as part of beefed up security measures cordoned the court premises and the sorrounding areas off.

On March 7, 1999, two bombs exploded at Munshi Meherullah Maidan in the town killing 10 people and injuring 200. The bombs exploded at the cultural programme of Udichi's 12th annual national conference.

Sub-inspector Abdul Aziz of Jessore Police Station lodged a case without giving any names of the killers. On December 14, 1999, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Dulal Uddin Akand pressed charges against 24 people including Minister for Environment and Forest Tariqul Islam, who was an opposition leader then, and another BNP leader Noorun Nabi.

The court framed charges on July 9, 2000. The High Court acquitted Tariqul Islam on August 12, 2003.

Defence lawyer Debasish Das told journalists the accused who gave confessional statements to a magistrate said they were not involved in the blast. They also said the police extracted statements from them by force.