Sylhet: The charge framing in the ex-Finance Minister SAMS Kibria murder case will be held on Sunday.

Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal fixed the date for the charge framing on Thursday after it deferred it for eight times earlier.

Court sources said suspended Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, top leader of militant group ‘Huji’ Mufti Hannan and nine other accused will be produced before the court during the charge framing hearing.

Ariful Haque, Babor and Hannan will be brought to the central jail here on Saturday night, jail sources said.

Ariful’s Haque lawyer said the charge framing hearing will begin at the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal at 10:30am on Sunday.

The trial of the sensational murder case will begin with the charge framing.

Earlier on 25 August, the charge framing in the murder case was deferred for the eighth time.

The Kibria murder case was transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal from Habiganj Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court on 11 June for its quick disposal.

Five people, including Kibria, were killed and 70 others injured in a grenade attack on a public rally of local Awami League at Baidder Bazar in Sadar upazila on 27 January 2005.

Awami League leader Abdul Mazid Khan filed two cases­–one for murder and another under the Explosives Substances Act–with the Habiganj Police Station the following day.

Assistant Superintendent of CID Munshi Atique submitted a chargesheet against 10 BNP leaders and activists on 19 March 2005.

On 20 June 2011, CID Senior Assistant Superintendent Rafiqul Islam submitted a supplementary chargesheet incorporating the names of 14 more people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Mufti Hannan, following a naraji (non-confidence) petition filed by the plaintiff.

Upon an appeal by the complainant, the High Court on 5 May 2006 stayed the proceedings of the cases.

Following another appeal by the complainant, the tribunal on 14 May 2006 ordered further investigation into the cases.

After further probe, Rafiqul submitted the first supplementary charge-sheet. However, Asma Kibria, wife of the slain minister, filed a petition with a local court expressing no-confidence in the investigation.

The court then forwarded the case documents along with the petition to the tribunal concerned.

Later on 5 January 2012, the tribunal ordered the CID to carry out further probe into the killing.