Verdict on DU teachers, students Monday

Dhaka, Jan 17 (bdprem.com) – A Dhaka court will deliver a verdict on Monday on one of the cases against four teachers and 15 students of Dhaka University. The decision came hours after the government Thursday submitted a written appeal urging the court of magistrate Habibur Rahman Siddiqui to fast-track the trial of the teachers and students. Your Ad Here The appeal makes a major move by the government to wrap up the controversial cases against the teachers and students who were arrested with ties to the August rioting at Dhaka University. Dhaka metropolitan additional special public prosecutor Magfur Rahman Sheikh filed the appeal with the court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Habibur Rahman Siddiqui. The magistrate set the verdict for Jan 21. "The state side is urging the court to announce the verdict in the case soon, as it is very important and sensitive," Magfur said, after filing the appeal. Defence lawyer Abdul Mannan Khan said in court: "Are you making an appeal for declaring the verdict before hearing the arguments?" The public prosecutor said: "Not really. The appeal has been made so that you can complete arguments quickly and the court can deliver the verdict." The defence said the state cannot make an appeal at this stage of the case. It said no government or executive order to make a quick verdict or withdrawal of the case had been attached with the appeal of the public prosecutor. Abdul Mannan Khan, the lawyer for Prof Anwar Hossain, said recent comments by two advisers on mercy for the detained teachers amounted to contempt of court. The advisers recently made separate statements that the detained teachers might get mercy in the case involving violation of the emergency powers rules. Khan argued if the advisers could make such comment on a case on trial. He said the two advisers had no legal jurisdiction to make such comments before the court made its decision. "Only the magistrate, who is presiding over the court, can give verdict on acquitting the accused persons," he said. In another court where separate charges of violating the state of emergency were on, the four teachers and one student repeated their claims that they were innocent. The court of magistrate M Golam Rabbani will resume the hearing Monday. The charges involve violations of emergency rules during days of Aug violence on Dhaka University premises. The chaos began when some army people beat a university student during a football match in the university. The melee that later spilled over onto the streets and elsewhere in the country continued for several days.