The Special Tribunal of Rangpur yesterday fixed February 28 as the date for pronouncing judgment in the Japanese national Kunio Hoshi murder case. Talking to The Independent, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Rothish Chandra Bhowmick said after hearing on arguments of both sides, Judge Naresh Chandra Sarker set February 28 next as the date for announcing the verdict. The tribunal examined 55 witnesses during hearing in 60 working days, examined one defense witness in favour of accused Shakhawat Hossain on February 14 last to complete the process through hearing of arguments yesterday, he added. Masked assailants riding motorbikes gunned down 66-year-old Kunio Hoshi at Katchu Alutari village under Kawnia upazila in the district on October 3, 2015. Kawnia Thana police filed
a murder case on July 3, 2015 and subsequently submitted charge sheet against eight alleged operatives of outlawed Jama’atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB) on July 3, 2016. On November 15 last year, the tribunal indicted seven alleged operatives of JMB for murdering Kunio Hoshi as the eighth presumed militant was killed earlier in an encounter with law enforcement agencies.The chargesheeted JMB operatives are Masud Rana alias Mamun, Esahak Ali, Nazrul Islam alias Bike Hasan, Litan Mian, Abu Sayeed, Shakhawat Hossain, Ahsan Ullah Ansari and Saddam Hossain.  Of the accessed, Masud, Esahak, Litan, Abu Sayeed and Shakhawat are in jail while Ahsan Ullah and Saddam on the run and Nazrul was killed in an encounter with police at Rajshahi on August 2, 2016,” Bhowmick said.