The trial of the 2001 Ramna Batamul bomb attack in Dhaka remains incomplete even after 25 years. The attack occurred on April 14, 2001, during the Chhayanaut New Year celebration, killing ten people. While the murder case related to the attack concluded in 2014 with eight death sentences and six life imprisonments, the explosives case is still pending. The case is currently at the stage of defendants’ self-defense hearings under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The next hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2026.
Court records show that witness testimony in the explosives case ended in March 2022, but procedural delays and the absence of defendants from court have stalled progress. Prosecutors said 54 of 84 witnesses have testified and expressed hope for a verdict before the next Bengali New Year. Defense lawyers argued that some accused have been in custody for nearly two decades without resolution, calling it a violation of justice.
The case involves eleven accused, including several already sentenced in the murder case. Two remain fugitives, and two are on bail, while the rest are in custody across different prisons, complicating court appearances.