By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

As speculated earlier, a Dhaka court yesterday set February 27 for further arguments in Major General Manzoor killing case.
First additional district and sessions judge Khandaker Hasan Mahmud Firoz fixed the date after deferring the verdict that was scheduled for a hearing yesterday.
Jatiya Party chairman and prime minister’s special envoy HM Ershad is the main accused in the case. He is now on bail.
A former military dictator, Ershad along with other accused was present in the court when the date was fixed for further arguments in the case.
According to the case statement, Maj Gen Abul Manzoor, given gallantry award Bir Uttam (Hero the Best), was killed in police custody after being captured in the Chittagong cantonment on June 1, 1981, a day after the then president Ziaur Rahman was assassinated at the local Circuit House in an abortive coup.
Manzoor’s brother Abul Mansur Ahmed filed the case in Chittagong on February 28, 1995, 14 years after the killing. The case was transferred to Dhaka from Chittagong for disposal.
“The new judge being unaware of the case contents may hear closing arguments of both sides for several days,” said public prosecutor Asaduzzaman Khan Rochi.
The case has seen 22 judges since it was filed in 1995, and the judges were either promoted or transferred to other districts.
Defence counsel S M Serajul Islam said if the new judge could scrutinise all the documents within a short time, he might deliver the verdict on time, otherwise he would have to defer the date.
A number of JP leaders believe the government wants to keep the case pending to keep Ershad under pressure, preventing him from taking a stand against the government.
The case got pace in July last year after Ershad refused to extend support to the Awami League-nominated mayoral candidate in the Gazipur City Corporation election.
At that stage, both the prosecution and the defence placed their arguments. Hearing of the case resumed in November and on completion of hearing on January 22, the court fixed February 10 for delivering the verdict.
Ershad on November 11 declared that he would not contest the 10th parliamentary election as all political parties had decided to boycott it. He, however, changed his mind, but after submission of nomination papers, he announced to quit the election on December 3.
Sources in the Jatiya Party claimed that Ershad was not allowed to quit the electoral race. He was confined to a hospital and was elected as an MP against his will. He was compelled to swear in as MP and was also appointed as the special envoy to the prime minister, they said.