Four special state counsels of Bangabandhu murder case yesterday urged the Supreme Court to deliver a verdict giving exemplary punishment to the killers of president Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members.

The nation has been waiting for trial of the killers of Bangabandhu for 34 years and now wants to become free from a black spot through the trial and punishment of the killers, they told the court.

Barrister Ajmalul Hossain, Dr Tawfique Nawaz, former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru and Supreme Court Bar Association President AFM Mesbahuddin yesterday placed submission as special counsels before the apex court during the 27th day’s hearing on the appeals yesterday.

The five member-bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Tafazzul Islam adjourned the hearing till this morning.

Ajmalul Hossain told the court the nation was hijacked through the killing of Father o f the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15,1975.

He said the top to bottom of the state failed to discharge their duties to protect the president and even to bring the killers to book.

The army, navy, air force, the chief justice, the Supreme Court and the High Court, the attorney general and the home secretary were present in the country, but they neither could protect the president nor took any step against the killers, he said, adding they had violated their oaths.

The chiefs of the army, navy and air force take oath during joining their offices for protecting the country and the president on the peril of their own lives, but they could not save the president and his family members, he added.

He prayed to the court to pass observations in the judgment of the case with some observations so that the legal system of the country cannot be damaged in future.

A serious abuse of power and a catastrophe took place in the country due to the failure of justice delivery system of the state after the incidents of August 15, he observed.

He said the rule of law was damaged through the rehabilitation of the dismissed and retired army officials, who were involved in the incidents of August 15, he added.

The special counsel also said the killers were rather given indemnity of the trial. Nobody challenged the acts of the unconstitutional and illegal governments after the killing.

Tawfique Nawaz said the characteristics of the republic, its constitution and structure were altered through the killing of Bangabandhu and there was no scope to commute the sentences of the convicts.

Abdul Matin Khasru said the killers of the Father of the Nation were given immunity of trial through promulgation of the Indemnity Ordinance on September 26,1975, which was against the constitution, rule of law and humanity.

AFM Mesbahuddin said the history, culture, norm, value, heritage and image of the Bengali nation have been damaged through the killing of Bangabandhu and the lawyers of the country like its 15 crore people want trial and punishment ofthe killers.