A court here on Tuesday acquitted 41 Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists, including former central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, in a case filed under the Speedy Trial Act 11 years back in Rangpur.
 
Judge Zulkan Nahim of Rangpur Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-1 passed the order acquitting all the accused leaders and activists of Jamaat and Shibir this evening.
 
Advocate Rabiul Islam, a lawyer for the defendants, told reporters that then Sub-inspector (SI) Shahadat Hossain of Kotwali police station filed a case under the Speedy Trial Act of 2002 for causing panic and vandalizing the car requisitioned by the police on February 18, 2013.
 
"At that time, the BNP-Jamaat blockade program was going on in the country. When the trial started after the case, the court accepted the testimony of 12 people in a long hearing," he said.
 
He said the judge ordered the acquittal of the accused as the evidence and cross examination of the witnesses did not prove any charges brought against them.
 
"In the order, 41 people, including former central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Delwar Hossain Saeedi, incumbent Publicity Secretary of Rangpur Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami Advocate Kawsar Ali, have been acquitted," Advocate Islam said.
 
Advocate Zoynal Abedin, another lawyer for the defendants, said that people had no freedom and did not get justice due to the long misrule of the fascist Awami League government and interference in the judiciary.
 
"The innocent accused got justice as the country was freed from the fascist regime in the student-people mass uprising 2024. Righteous justice has been ensured through today's verdict," he said.