Nearly 80-year-old Jamal Uddin continues to travel monthly from Lohagara to the Chattogram court seeking justice for his slain son, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. Despite his frail health, he attends every hearing of the murder case, which is being tried at the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal. However, repeated adjournments have left him disheartened, as the case remains stalled at the witness examination stage.

The court session on Wednesday again saw a delay when defense lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya sought time citing illness. The tribunal rejected the plea, closed Jamal Uddin’s testimony, and issued summons for the next witness, setting June 24 as the next hearing date. Since the charge was framed on January 19, the defense has sought time six times for cross-examination. The prosecution expressed frustration over the repeated delays, saying they have caused immense distress to the elderly plaintiff.

Human rights lawyer Jamal Hossain noted that over a hundred thousand cases remain pending in Chattogram courts, with frequent adjournments and procedural complexities prolonging trials. The 2024 killing of Alif by followers of sedition-accused Chinmoy Krishna Das continues to raise concerns about judicial delays and victims’ suffering.