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The judicial proceedings of the highly discussed and sensational murder case of Asaduzzaman Tuhin, Staff Reporter of ‘Dainik Protidin Kagoz’ in Gazipur, have gained new momentum. With continuous witness testimonies, the presentation of seized evidence, and the swift scheduling of hearings in court, relevant parties believe the case is now progressing towards a prompt verdict.
On Tuesday (May 19) morning, the prime accused in this murder case, Khetu Mizan alias Kopa Mizan, along with his wife Golapi and a total of 8 accused, were presented before the Gazipur court. On the same day, various seized items used in the murder were presented to the court, and the testimonies of witnesses involved in the seizure of these items were completed.
Regarding this, Advocate Prashant Chandra Sarkar, a lawyer of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, stated,
“Various pieces of evidence used in the murder have been presented to the court. Additionally, the testimonies of three witnesses involved in the seizure of these items have been completed. The ‘merit’ (facts and evidence) of the case is very strong, and the court proceedings are advancing rapidly. We are hopeful that exemplary punishment for the culprits will be ensured very soon.”
Harun Or Rashid, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of GMP’s Basan Police Station, informed that the progress in journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin’s murder case is satisfactory. With the swift judicial proceedings, it is hoped that the case will reach the verdict stage within a short period.
Meanwhile, Selim, the plaintiff in the case and elder brother of the slain journalist Tuhin, said, “Our family has complete faith in the court. Our only expectation is that the accused will be swiftly executed through a fair trial.”
According to court sources, as part of the continuous witness testimonies, Tuhin’s nephew Sohag had previously testified in court as an inquest witness. Furthermore, the court has already recorded statements from several important witnesses, including police personnel.
On this day, extensive security measures were taken when Khetu Mizan, the prime accused in this high-profile case, was presented in court. Earlier, some sensational statements made by Khetu Mizan while disembarking from the prison van on his way to court had generated widespread discussion across the country.
Md. Khairul Alam Rafiq, Editor of ‘Dainik Protidin Kagoz’ and Chairman of ‘Journalist Torture Prevention Cell Bangladesh,’ stated,
“In Bangladesh, there are precedents where the trials of many journalist murders have been stalled. However, the rapid progress in witness testimonies and judicial proceedings in the murder case of our Staff Reporter Asaduzzaman Tuhin is a message of hope for the journalist community. If a fair trial is completed in this case, it will set a historic precedent for the trials of other journalist murder cases, including that of journalist couple Sagar-Runi.”
It is noteworthy that on August 7 last year, journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight at Chandana Chowrasta in Gazipur. This barbaric incident caused widespread outrage and stir across the country. Media workers consider the commencement of continuous witness testimonies shortly after the formation of charges in this case to be a rare and positive development in the history of journalist murder cases in the country.