The High Court has asked the authorities concerned to explain as to why Jamal Ahmed, widely known as Joj Mia, the man who was falsely implicated in the August 21 grenade attack case, should not be given adequate compensation.
The court also wanted to know why the imprisonment of Joj Mia will not be declared ‘illegal’.
The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo issued the ruling on Tuesday (October 25) following a writ petition filed by Joj Mia.
The writ petition was filed, seeking HC’s directive on the Tk 10 crore-compensation sought in the Joj Mia case.
Joj Mia’s lawyer Mohammad Humayan Kabir Pallab filed a writ petition on September 12, seeking Tk 100 million as compensation for Joj Mia. The writ petition has also sought the formation of a committee, headed by a retired judge of the Appellate Division, to identify those who had tried Joj Mia in a false case.
Secretary of Home Ministry, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station, OC of Noakhali’s Senbag Police Station, Crime and Investigation Department (CID) of police, former IGP Mohammad Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, former ASPs Abdur Rashid, Munshi Atiqur Rahman and former superintendent of police Md Ruhul Amin were made respondents in the writ petition.
The writ petition also sought directives to confiscate all the assets of former state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar, former IGP Mohammad Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, former ASP Abdur Rashid, Munsi Atiqur Rahman and former special superintendent of police Ruhul Amin, and collect the compensation money from them.
Earlier on August 11, a legal notice was sent to the authorities concerned, including the home secretary, seeking compensation of Tk 10 crore for Joj Mia. The legal notice had asked the respondents to take steps in this regard within 15 days. The lawyers of Supreme Court had issued the legal notice.
The writ petition is a continuation of this legal process to ensure compensation for Joj Mia.
On August 21 in 2004, a grenade attack was carried out on then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina's rally at Bangabandhu Avenue at Gulishan in the capital. Twenty-two people, including late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman, were killed in the gruesome attack on the Awami League rally. Incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina narrowly survived the attack.
Falsely implicated in the grenade attack case, Joj Mia gained infamy seemingly overnight after his arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from his home at Senbagh in Noakhali on June 10 in 2005. He was remanded for 17 days and interrogated by CID.
In confessional statement given to the court on June 26 in 2005, Joj Mia said that he had participated in the grenade attack in exchange for money. Later, Joj Mia claimed that he was intimidated into making a statement about his involvement in the grenade attack.
Later in 2007, the caretaker government took the initiative to reinvestigate this case. After the reinvestigation, the CID issued the charge sheet of the two cases on June 11 in 2008. In the same year, the imprisoned Joj Mia was acquitted.