The third day of second phase of testimonial statements in the murder case of Maj (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan concluded at a Cox’s Bazar court Tuesday with the testimony and statement of the fifth witness.

The court adjourned at around 5 pm after Hafeez Mohammad Amin’s testimony as an eyewitness and his interrogation by defense lawyers.

The statement was recorded before Cox’s Bazar district and session court Judge Md Ismail.

He was presented before the court amid tight security around 10 am on the day.

After the hearing, defense lawyer Rana Dasgupta told the media that Mohammad Amin is a Rohingya.

“He said that he saw the murder from atop a mosque and he used to work there. However, the president and the general secretary of the mosque informed us that they don’t know anyone by this name.”

Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam refuted the claim and said that the witness is a Bangladeshi citizen.

He went on to say that the national identity of the witness is irrelevant and the matter is being brought up to steer the conversation to a different direction.

Plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Mohammad Jahangir added that the aforementioned mosque does not have any committee.

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“The concept of the president and general secretary not knowing the witness is ludicrous as the mosque doesn't have a committee in the first place,” he added.

Earlier, during the three-day testimonial statements recording from August 23 to August 25, plaintiff Sharmin Sahariya Ferdous, sister of Sinha, and witness Shahedul Islam Sifat’s statements were recorded.

On Sunday, third witness Mohammad Ali’s statement was recorded at the court on the first day of the second phase of testimonial statements.

On Monday the court heard from the fourth witness, CNG driver Kamal Hossain’s testimony .

The 11 other witnesses who received the court notice are scheduled to testify by Wednesday.

On July 31 last year, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.

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On August 5, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.

On December 13, 2020, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case filed over Sinha's murder at a checkpost manned by APBn, where officers of the Teknaf police station intercepted Sinha's car.

All of the 15 accused in the charge-sheet are currently in jail. Of them 12 have given confessional statements before court except OC Pradeep Kumar Das, constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.

Other accused of the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.