Shawdesh desk:

A Chattogram court on Sunday issued warrants against the 34 witnesses, including police and doctor, in the case filed over the Banshkhali carnage in 2003.

The court of 3rd additional Chattogram district sessions judge HM Shafiqul Islam issued the warrants against the witnesses as they did not appear before the court till Sunday for depositing statements, Chattogram district public prosecutor Sheikh Iftekhar Shimul Chowdhury told New Age.

‘The court asked the Chattogram police superintendent to take actions in this regard and produce the witnesses before the court on March 6, 2023,’ the lawyer said.

A total of 23 witnesses among 57 deposited their statements before the court till Sunday; but 34 other witnesses, including the investigation officer of the case and physician who prepared the post-mortem report did not deposit their statements, according to the public prosecutor.

Miscreants on November 18 in 2003 set fire to the residence of Tejendra Lal Sushil in Sadhanpur area in Banskhali upazila in Chattogram which killed 11 members of the family, including Tejendra Lal Sushil.

The other deceased were — Bakul Bala Sushil, Anil Kanti Shil, Smriti Rani Shil, Sunil Shil, Rony Shil, Kartik Shil, Babu Shil, Prashadi Shil, Anny Shil and Debendra Shil, according to case statement.

Tejendra Lal Sushil’s son Bimal Kanti Sushil filed a case accusing 35 unidentified people with the Banskhali police station on November 19, 2023. Police submitted a charge sheet in January 2011 accusing 38 persons of arson, looting, and murder.