Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 has ordered the transfer of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif murder case to the Chattogram Metropolitan District and Sessions Judge Court for further judicial proceedings.
On Tuesday, during the scheduled date of the case, Magistrate Abu Bakkar Siddique issued the order. At that time, the deceased lawyer Alif’s father and the plaintiff of the case, Jamal Uddin, were present in court.
An application has been submitted through the District Commissioner (DC) to the home adviser for the trial of` the case in the Speedy Trial Tribunal. On Tuesday at 2pm, Additional District Commissioner Sharif Uddin received the application.
Court sources informed that the investigation officer of the case submitted a charge sheet on 1 June, accusing 39 individuals. After a hearing, the court accepted the charge sheet on 15 August. Among the accused named in the charge sheet, 17 are still at large.
Arrest warrants, orders for proclamation and attachment have been issued against those accused. Alongside this, all legal processes, including publishing a notification in newspapers, have been completed.
Since all legal proceedings in the lower court have concluded, the case is now in a “Ready for Trial” state. Sources related to the matter said the case will be formally transferred to the Metropolitan District and Sessions Judge Court on Wednesday.
This brutal murder, which occurred in the post-mass uprising period, created widespread shock across the country. The killing of the young and promising lawyer raised serious concerns about the country’s law and order situation, the security of the judiciary, and the rule of law.
However, despite being a nationally discussed and sensitive case, the government’s lack of a clear decision regarding its transfer to the Speedy Trial Tribunal has caused anxiety and frustration among the public.
On 26 November 2024, violence erupted in the Chattogram court premises centring the rejection of the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was detained in a sedition case. On that day, incidents of prison van obstruction, vandalism, and nearly four hours of chaos occurred.
Saiful Islam Alif, a member of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and Chattogram District Bar Association, was brutally killed in an attack by followers of Chinmoy Das and ISKCON supporters.
This incident sparked intense condemnation and outrage at home and abroad. In case no. 47(11)2024 filed by the deceased lawyer’s father Jamal Uddin at Kotwali Police Station, 39 individuals have been accused, of whom 17 are still at large.
The case’s lawyer, Advocate Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, said, “This is an extremely sensitive case. To ensure justice, it is necessary to immediately transfer the case to the Speedy Trial Tribunal and conduct an effective trial.”
The application sent to the home adviser stated that the case is a nationally discussed and highly important murder case, fundamentally intertwined with questions regarding the country’s law and order situation, public security, and the rule of law.
To ensure justice and for the sake of completing a speedy and exemplary trial, it is absolutely necessary for the case to be tried in the Speedy Trial Tribunal. According to the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, 2002, sensational murders posing a threat to public security, law and order, and the stability of the state are eligible for the Speedy Trial Tribunal.
The said case is entirely suitable, relevant, and meets all legal criteria for trial in the Speedy Trial Tribunal due to its nature, context, social reaction, and national impact.
