Court: Witnesses in actor Sohel Chowdhury murder case biased

After 25 years, the court finally delivered its verdict in the case of the fatal shooting of actor Sohel Chowdhury outside the Trump Club in Banani, Dhaka, on December 17, 1998.

Judge Arunabh Chakraborty of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 delivered the verdict on Thursday, acquitting six others accused in the case.

The judge observed: "Many of the witnesses who provided evidence to the police have since passed away, making it impossible to verify their testimony. Additionally, several accused individuals failed to appear in court to testify, and even the magistrates who recorded their statements did not attend court proceedings. Furthermore, the witnesses who did testify displayed bias and attempted to conceal the truth."

In addition to life imprisonment, the court fined Abdul Aziz and the two other convicts, Trumps Club owner Afakul Islam alias Bunty Islam and Adnan Siddiqui, Tk2 lakh. In default, they would have to spend another 1 month in prison.

The six who were acquitted are Tariq Sayeed Mamun, Selim Khan, Harun-Or-Rashid alias Leather Liton, Faruque Abbasi, Sanzidul Islam Emon and Ashish Rai Choudhury alias Bottle Choudhury.

Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Afakul Islam, Salim Khan, Haroon Or Rashid and Adnan Siddiqui had been tried in absentia.

Ashish Rai Choudhury, Tariq Sayeed Mamun and Faruque Abbasi were on bail, while Sanzidul Islam Emon was escorted to the court from jail.

Sohel Chowdhury was fatally shot on December 18, 1998, under Trumps Club in Abedin Tower in the Banani neighbourhood of Dhaka.

Sohel’s brother Touhidul Islam Chowdhury filed a case with Gulshan police station in connection with the murder.

After investigating the matter, Assistant Police Commissioner Abul Kashem Bepari pressed charges against nine people on July 30 of the next year.

Commenting on the judgment, the judge noted several discrepancies in the case, including the loss of crucial case documents and inconsistencies in witness testimonies. While some evidence pointed to the involvement of certain individuals, it was deemed insufficient to justify capital punishment.

In response to queries from journalists, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu said that they would review the full verdict before deciding whether to appeal.

Farooq Ahmad, the lawyer representing one of the acquitted individuals, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, particularly regarding the release of his client after 16 years of incarceration.

He emphasized that his client had no involvement in the case and welcomed the court's decision.