Hearing resumes

Laxmipur District Public Prosecutor (PP) and then general secretary of Laxmipur Bar Manirul Islam Howlader completed his unfinished statement before the court.

The tribunal judge then heard another witness Fariduddin, a shopkeeper at Mandaripur.

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So far, nine PWs have given their statements in the case.

The hearing will continue today.

Meanwhile, Kotwali thana police arrested one youth from the city's Reazuddin Bazar area at around 2.30pm yesterday for making an attempt to kidnap one of the witnesses from the court premises.

The youth identified as Abdul Awal alias Bipon, 25, was reportedly a member of Taher Bahini of Laxmipur, police said.

Sources said one PW Abul Kalam Azad, who was declared 'hostile' by the judge for giving irrelevant accounts and backtracking from what he confessed earlier to police under 164, was recalled by the court yesterday.

As Azad appeared on the court premises at Jubilee Road area at around 2.15pm, Awal approached and threatened him not to give any statement against his leader Abu Taher.

At one stage, Awal also tried to abduct Azad who managed to slip away and went straight to the court.

After knowing the incident, the court ordered police to nab Awal.

A gang of armed miscreants picked up Advocate Nurul Islam from his residential chamber in Laxmipur at midnight on September 18, 2000.

His mutilated body was recovered later on from the river Meghna.