A court in Dhaka has set Oct 21 as the final date for submitting the report of a fresh investigation into the killing of Maj Gen Abul Manzur.
Former military dictator and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad is one of the defendants in the case over the 1981 killing in Chattogram (Chittagong).
On Sunday, First Additional District and Sessions Judge SM Pradip Kumar Roy fixed the date after the investigating officer failed to file report and sought an extension, Prosecutor Asaduzzaman Khan Rachi told Bangla Tribune.
Special SP of CID Abdul Kahar Akhand is the IO of the case.
The other accused in the case are Major (retd) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt Col (retd) Mostafa Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, Lt Col (retd) Shamsur Rahman Shams, and Maj Gen (retd) Adbul Latif.
Police, however, investigating the involvement of three out the five accused as two others — Latif and Shams secured a stay order from the High Court on the matter.
On Feb 10, 2014, the court was set to deliver its verdict on the case. But, it kept pending the verdict as then-judge Hossne Ara Akther was transferred.
Later, the court ordered further investigations following a petition filed by the state.
On Jun 1, 1981, Maj Gen Manzur was taken from police custody to the Chattogram, cantonment and shot dead there.
The previous day, the then-president Ziaur Rahman was killed by a group of army officers.
Gen Manzur was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 24th infantry battalion of Chattogram during the Zia’s regime. Police detained him when he attempted to go into hiding following Zia's death.
On Feb 28, 1995, Manzur’s elder brother Barrister Abul Monsur filed a case with Panchlaish police in Chattogram, accusing Major Emdadul of killing Manzur.
On July 15 that year, then ASP Abdul Kahar Akand submit charge sheet to the court, which the court ordered for further investigation.