Mohammad Akhter Hossain, a grocer of Noagoan in Tongi, told the court that his house is adjacent to the house of Mohammad Ali, one of the 30 accused. He said that he saw Sohag and seven others were going to the house of Mohammad Ali at about 11:00am on the day of incident (May 7) last year when he went out of his house to attend the meeting of Swechchhasebak League.

Meanwhile, another prosecution witness Jitendra Sarker, also a caretaker of the house of slain Ahsanullah Master, also gave his deposition before the court yesterday.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 recorded statements of the witnesses. Later, defence lawyers cross-examined Akhter and Jiten. The court fixed today for the next hearing.

Of the accused, 12 were present. Kabir Hossain, Pappu, Nurul Amin and Ayub are on bail, while Dipu and 17 others still at large.

Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder and advocates Mohammad Ali, Mahbub Ahmed, M Sajwar Hossain, Sahara Khatun and Momtazuddin Mehedi appeared for the state. Advocates ABM Sharfuddin Khan Mukul, Nazrul Islam, Jasim Uddin, Sanaullah Miah and Emdadul Haq Lal defended the accused.