Sylhet: A Sylhet court on Thursday deferred the recoding of testimony of the witnesses to 4 and 5 November in the former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case.

Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Makbul Ahsan fixed the dates as eight of the 13 accused did not appear before the tribunal today, said Kishore Kumar Kar, PP of the tribunal.

Suspended Sylhet City mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury did not appear before the tribunal as he is undergoing treatment under police custody in Dhaka.

Today was the third day of recording testimony of the witnesses. Four, out of 171 witnesses, including complainant Awami League Habiganj district unit's general secretary Abdul Majid, so far made their depositions before the tribunal.

On 13 September, a Sylhet court indicted 32 people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and suspended Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque, in the sensational murder case.

Earlier, the charge framing hearing in the sensational case was deferred for nine times.

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.

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

Earlier, assistant Superintendent of CID Munshi Atique submitted a charge sheet against 10 BNP leaders and activists on 19 March 2005.