Col Taher Case: Ex-DC places statement to HC

Col Abu TaherStar Online Report

MM Shawkat Ali, a former deputy commissioner of Dhaka, on Tuesday placed statement before the High Court over the trial and execution of Col Abu Taher.
He told the court that Col Taher could have been tried under the normal law since he was not a military officer in 1976.
He said Col Taher was tried and executed in a secret court, which was formed under the martial law regulations.
He made the statement before the bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain.
The court is hearing the writ petition that challenged the martial law regulation under which Col Taher was tried and sentenced to death.
Shawkat Ali told the court that he did not know Md Abdul Ali, one of the five judges of the military tribunal.
Md Abdul Ali, who was a first class magistrate during the trial, told the told on January 13 that Shawkat Ali has directed him to join the tribunal as its members.
The hearing was going on till filling of this report at about 2:15pm.