A Dhaka court yesterday ended examination of witnesses from both sides and fixed tomorrow for arguments in the Awami League (AL) lawmaker Ahsanullah Master murder case.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 set the date after recording statements of three defence witnesses.

The prosecution tomorrow begins arguments taking points from the first information report (FIR), chargesheet, inquest and post-mortem reports and statements of 34 prosecution witnesses.

The defence lawyers will begin their arguments after the prosecution ends their turn.

Three witnesses -- Rina Sultana, wife of accused Mahbubur Rahman, Liakat Hossain and Shahid Miah on behalf of Mahbub and Dulal -- gave their statements yesterday.

Rina told the court her husband was with her at their village home in Narayanganj when Ahsanullah was assassinated on May 7 last year.

She added that Fayez, subinspector (SI) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), demanded Tk 2 lakh for her husband's release after the CID arrested Mahbub on May 14.

The SI took the money from her the next day but they did not release her husband, Rina said. Rather, the investigation officer (IO) brutally tortured her husband for giving confessional statement, she added.

Shahid and Liakat told the court Dulal was with them at a local mosque at around 11:00am during the attack on the AL lawmaker.

Nine of the accused including Nurul Islam Sarker are now behind bars, while Alamin, Pappu Sarker, Mohammad Ali and Monir are out on bail. Chhatra Samaj leader Nurul Islam Dipu and 16 others are on the run.