Twenty-five years after the 2001 Ramna Batamul bombing, no verdict has been delivered in the case filed under the Explosives Act. The case remains pending at Dhaka’s Metropolitan Special Tribunal-15, where proceedings have been stalled for over three years.
The attack took place during Chhayanaut’s Pahela Baishakh celebration at Ramna Batamul, killing 10 people. On the same day, two cases were filed at Ramna Police Station, one for murder and another under the Explosives Act. While the murder case reached a verdict in 2014, the explosives case has yet to be resolved.
The case has been transferred multiple times between tribunals and is currently awaiting the self-defense statements of the accused. A hearing scheduled for March 31 did not proceed due to the absence of the accused. The court has set July 9 as the next date for the hearing.
Police investigations had identified members of the banned militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJI), including Mufti Abdul Hannan, among those involved. Charge sheets were submitted in 2008 naming multiple accused. Some remain absconding, while others are either in prison or out on bail.
Prosecutors stated that delays in producing accused individuals in court have prevented the continuation of self-defense hearings. The case had also been stayed earlier by a High Court order, contributing to the prolonged delay. The trial remains incomplete, with no clear timeline for a verdict.
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