Former Jatiya Party lawmaker Golam Faruk Ovi has been acquitted in absentia by a Dhaka court in connection with the 2002 murder of 24-year-old model Syeda Tania Mahbub Tinni.
Judge Mosammat Shahinur Akhter of Dhaka’s 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court delivered the verdict on Monday, citing the prosecution's failure to substantiate the charges against the sole accused in the case.
Speaking on behalf of Ovi, defense lawyer Shah Elias Ratan expressed satisfaction with the verdict.
He said, "I represented Ovi, and he has been acquitted in this case. We are pleased with the judgment."
The case dates back to 10 November 2002, when police recovered Tinni’s body from beneath the China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over the Buriganga River.
A murder case was subsequently filed at Keraniganj Police Station on the same day.
Initially, police arrested several individuals, including Tinni’s ex-husband Shafakat Ahmed Pial, along with Swapan Gazi, Gazi Sharifullah Tapan, Shafiqul Islam Jewel, and Somnath Saha Bappy.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in its charge sheet filed on 8 November 2008, accused only Ovi while dropping charges against the others due to insufficient evidence.
According to the case statement, Ovi, who had been absconding since the incident, later fled to Canada.
The trial saw testimonies from 26 out of the 41 witnesses listed in the charge sheet. Despite early progress, the case faced significant delays. On 10 April 2011, Tinni’s father, Syed Mahbub Karim, partially testified in court before the High Court stayed proceedings on 25 August of the same year.
