Ershad among two relieved of Maj Gen Manzoor murder case

A court in Dhaka on Monday relieved late Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and Major (retd) Abdul Latif of the chargesheet of Maj Gen Abul Manzoor murder case.

The First Additional District and Sessions Judge Dilara Alo Chandana accepted the supplementary chargesheet submitted by Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Then the court relieved them as the duo have already died.

The judge set April 6 for next hearing of the case.

Maj (retd) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt Col (retd) Mostafa Kamaluddin Bhuiyan and Lt Col (retd) Shamsur Rahman Shams are the accused in the chargesheet.

Bangladesh's first military strongman Ziaur Rahman was killed in an attempted coup in Chattogram in 1981. Manzoor was the General Officer Commanding of the 24th Infantry Division in Chattogram at the time.

Police arrested Manzoor after Zia's assassination. The freedom fighter general was shot dead after he was taken to Chattogram Cantonment from police custody.

Ershad subsequently grabbed power before being deposed in 1990 following a movement. He died in July 2019. Manzoor's brother Abul Mansur Ahmed started a case with Panchlaish Police Station in 1995.

TF