Huda, Noor shot Bangabandhu
Huda, Noor shot Bangabandhu Says statement of witness Quddus
A witness of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case has said in his statement that convicts Bazlul Huda and Noor Chowdhury shot Bangabandhu with Sten guns on August 15, 1975.
Barrister Abdullah-al Mamun, counsel for convicts Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin, yesterday placed the statement of witness Abdul Quddus before the Supreme Court while delivering his submission on the third day’s hearing on appeals of five convicts who challenged their death sentences in the case.
In 1975, Abdul Quddus was a guard at the official residence of Bangabandhu on Road-32 in Dhanmondi.
In his statement, Quddus said on the day of the incident, Major AKM Mohiuddin with his lancer sepoys went upstairs of Bangabandhu’s house. When they were bringing down Bangabandhu to the ground floor Major Noor said something in English. Mohiuddin and his companions stepped aside and Captain Bazlul Huda and Major Noor shot Bangabandhu, who then fell on the staircase and died.
Quddus, the fourth prosecution witness in the case, said he and other guards heard continuous shooting from the lakeside on the south of the house while hoisting the national flag on August 15 morning.
At one stage the shooting stopped and then sepoys in black and khaki dresses entered the house through the gate saying “hands up”. Quddus said he then saw convict AKM Mohiuddin and two other army officers at the gate.
The court adjourned the hearing until 9:30am today.
Barrister Mamun will continue his submission today before the five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Tafazzal Islam.
In his submission, Mamun placed the findings of the High Court judgment delivered by Justice Md Ruhul Amin over the matters of convicts Sultan Shahariar Rashid Khan, AKM Mohiuddin and Bazlul Huda.
He yesterday started reading the part of the judgment on the involvement of another convict Mohiuddin Ahmed.
The five convicts–dismissed army personnel Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahariar Rashid Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed, AKM Mohiuddin and Bazlul Huda who are in jail now–filed the appeals with the SC in October 2007.
After the hearing, Mamun told The Daily Star that he would place the verdict delivered by High Court Judge ABM Khairul Haque after delivering the part of the judgment on Mohiuddin Ahmed’s involvement.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists at his office that the state counsels would make their submissions after the convicts’ counsels conclude their submissions and arguments.
Authorities yesterday set up metal detector at the door of the courtroom. Mahbubey Alam said the measure was taken to ensure security during the hearing of a sensational case like the Bangabandhu murder case.
A number of counsels for both the state and convicts of the case, law officers and journalists were present at the court during the hearing.
Staff Correspondent / Daily STAR
