SYLHET: A court here yesterday deferred the recoding of testimony of the witnesses to November 4 and 5 in the ex-Finance Minister SAMS Kibria murder case, reports UNB. Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Makbul Ahsan fixed the dates as eight of the 13 accused did not appear before the tribunal yesterday, said Kishore Kumar Kar, PP of the tribunal. Suspended Sylhet City Corporation mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury did not appear before the tribunal as he is undergoing treatment under police custody in Dhaka. Today was the third day of recording testimony of the witnesses.
Four, out of 171 witnesses, including complainant Awami League Habiganj district unit's general secretary Abdul Majid, so far made their depositions before the tribunal.
On September 13, a Sylhet court indicted 32 people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and suspended Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque, in the sensational murder case. Earlier, the charge framing hearing in the sensational case was deferred for nine times.
Five people, including Kibria, were killed and 70 others injured in a grenade attack on a public rally of local  Awami League at Baidder Bazar in Sadar upazila on January 27, 2005. Awami League leader Abdul Mazid  Khan filed two cases - one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act - with the Habiganj Police Station the following day. Kibria murder case was transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal from Habiganj Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on June 11 for its quick disposal.
Earlier, assistant Superintendent of CID Munshi Atique submitted a charge sheet against 10 BNP leaders and activists on March 19, 2005.