Journalists allowed to cover proceedings

A Narayanganj court yesterday recorded testimony of a prosecution witness in the sensational seven-murder case with journalists inside the court.

Selina Islam, wife of victim Nazrul Islam and complainant of a case, testified before Judge Enayet Hossain of District and Sessions Judge's Court.

On Monday, journalists were made to leave the court, worrying the victims' families and their lawyers over getting a fair trial.

Referring to a “court directive”, the public prosecutor and counsels for the accused had said journalists were not allowed to attend the proceedings. The police then asked the newsmen to leave and the journalists complied.

But, later a court official told The Daily Star that he was not aware of any such order passed by the court.

Law Minister Anisul Huq had said the public prosecutor had no right to say that journalists were not allowed.

A Supreme Court lawyer on Wednesday served a legal notice seeking withdrawal of the public prosecutor.

During yesterday's proceedings, two benches on the last row of the courtroom were kept reserved for journalists.

Seven people, including Narayanganj city corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar, were abducted from the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road on April 27, 2014. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya a few days later.

The District and Sessions Judge's Court of Narayanganj on February 8 framed charges against 35 people, including Nur Hossain and three dismissed Rab officials, in two cases filed in connection with the murders.

Of the 35 accused, 12 are still on the run.

Nazrul's father-in-law Shahidul Islam alleged that the Rab officials abducted and killed Nazrul after taking Tk 6 crore from ward councillor Nur Hossain for the contract killing.

Yesterday, 23 accused, including Nur Hossain and the three fired Rab officials -- Tareque Sayeed, Arif Hossain, and Masud Rana -- were produced before the court amid tight security, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

After Selina Islam's testimony, defence counsels of 32 accused cross-examined her before adjourning the case proceeding until March 10, when she would be further cross-examined, said Public Prosecutor Wajed Ali Khokon.

Selina told reporters afterwards that she testified before the court on how her husband and other victims were killed after being abducted.

She said Nur Hossain was the “mastermind” of the killings and former Rab officials Tareque, Arif, and Rana carried out Nur's plan.