Ctg court asked to explain delay in trial proceedings

The High Court today sought explanation from a Chittagong court as to why the trial proceedings of the murder case of Swandeep were not finished finished in last 23 years after it was filed.

The additional sessions judge of fourth court of Chittagong has been asked to give the explanation to the HC in two weeks.

According to section 339(C) of Criminal Procedure Code, a murder case has to be disposed of in 180 days after the trial court receives it for holding the trial.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice ABM Hassan fixed August 23 to pass further order on this issue.

The bench also ordered the trial court judge to finish the trial proceedings of the case in three months.

The judges passed the order during hearing a petition filed by accused Foyez Uddin Ahmed alias Choukidar Foyez seeking bail in the murder case.

According to the case statement, one Abbas Uddin, 30, was beaten to death in August, 1993. A murder case was filed with Swandeep Police Station in Chittagong on August 7, 1993 against seven persons.

Police submitted a charge sheet of the case against six accused including Choukidar Foyez to the Chittagong court on October 19, 1993. The trial court started the trial proceedings of the case in 1999.

Choukidar Foyez, who was arrested on May 11 this year, recently filed the bail petition with the HC in connection with the case.

After seeing the case records, the HC today issued a rule upon the government to explain in two weeks as to why Foyez should not be granted bail in the case, Assistant Attorney General Sirajul Islam told The Daily Star.