A Dhaka court has rescheduled the recording of witness testimony in the murder case of scrap metal trader Lal Chand, alias Sohag, to 27 July.
Sohag was publicly killed in front of Mitford Hospital (Sir Salimullah Medical College) in Old Dhaka.
Acting Judge Mosaddek Minhaj of the Dhaka First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court passed the order on Sunday.
Bench Assistant ASM Shahadat Ali confirmed that although nine accused individuals currently in custody were produced before the court, the two witnesses scheduled for the day failed to appear, leading to the deferment.
The trial officially commenced last Sunday after the same court framed charges against 21 accused individuals.
The case dates to 9 July last year, when Sohag, 39, was stone-pelted and hacked to death near gate-3 of Mitford Hospital around 6pm.
The following day, the victim’s elder sister, Manjuwara Begum, filed a murder case at Kotwali Police Station, naming 19 individuals and citing another 15 to 20 unidentified suspects.
The initial investigation, led by then-officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station (currently Shahbagh Police Station) Md Moniruzzaman, resulted in a charge sheet against 21 people on 8 December last year.
He also recommended the exemption of 10 others due to lack of evidence. However, the court identified flaws in the probe and ordered a re-investigation.
Subsequently, Inspector Shah Md Faisal Ahmed submitted a supplementary charge sheet against the same 21 individuals on 10 May this year.
Of the 21 accused, nine are currently in prison: Mahmud Hassan Mahin alias Mahmudul Hasan (Mohin), Md Tareq Rahman Robin, Md Titon Gazi, Md Alamgir, Md Monir alias Lamba Monir, Md Nanu Kazi, Md Rizwan Uddin alias Abhijit Basu, Md Zahirul Islam, and Md Sagar.
Four others – Md Ruman Bepari, Md Abir Hossain, Md Parvez, and Sajib Bepari – are out on bail.
Eight remains at large, including Zahirul, Md Imran, Md Sharafat alias Shafiul Islam, Md Ziauddin Rajib, Md Hossain Chowkider, Md Sarwar Hossain Titu, Md Mongol Mia alias Monir Hossain, and Apu Das.
The victim, Lal Chand, was the son of Yusuf Ali Howlader of East Namabari village under Keraniganj Model Police Station and had been conducting his scrap business on Rajani Ghosh Lane for a long period.
