DHAKA:  The Criminal Investigation Department got three more months for further investigation to report the findings on the Aug 21 grenade attack on Awami League rally.

A Dhaka court Thursday fixed August 3 as the date for submitting the probe report. With this, the law got extension for the fourth time in this regard.

Acting judge of the Metropolitan Session judges Court Ismail Hossain issued order in response to an appeal for time by special police super of CID Abdul Kahar Akand, who is also the investigation officer of the case.

Kahar appealed for four more months time to probe the case filed under the Explosive Substances Act as he failed to submit the report by Thursday (today) as ordered by a Dhaka court earlier.

On August 3 last year, Masdar Hossain, the then judge of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 1, had initially directed further investigations after taking statements of some 61 witnesses.

Two cases were filed in connection with the grenade attack, one for killings and the other for use of explosives. On October 14 last year, the cases were transferred to the metropolitan sessions judges court and the CID was given another extension.

Fresh investigations were ordered and police pressed charges against 22 suspects on June 11 last year.

BNP leader Nasiruddin Pintu and Islamist kingpin Mufti Hannan were among the accused. BNPs former state minister for home, Lutfozzaman Babar, now in jail, was also recently shown arrested in connection with the grenade attack.

BDST: 1910 Hrs, June 3,2010
BK/PB/SMS/MUA