He cited the statements of Law Minister Moudud Ahmed and Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hasan to substantiate his allegation.

Nasim, son of former prime minister M Mansur Ali, Sohel Taj MP, son of former prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed, and Brig. Gen. (retd) Shafayet Islam, son of former acting president Syed Nazrul Islam, exchanged views with the leaders of Supreme Court Bar Association on the case proceedings.

They sought legal and moral support of the Bar leaders. Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud and General Secretary Advocate Bashir Ahmed assured them of "all-out support" in the case.

The four national leaders -- Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, M Qamaruzzaman and M Mansur Ali -- were killed in Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.

Referring to PP Mahmud Hasan's statement that the witnesses did not say anything about these accused, Nasim termed it "false".

He said that he, as a witness, and other witnesses had repeatedly mentioned the names of the accused. Last Thursday, Simi, daughter of Tajuddin Ahmed, also mentioned the names, he added.

Nasim questioned why the public prosecutor, being a pleader of the complainants, is pleading for the accused.

"This proves the government's motives regarding the case," he said, alleging that the law minister has "interfered in the case by changing and curbing the power of the lawyers".

Sohel Taj said that after her sister Simi made her submissions as a witness in the trial court on Thursday, one of the accused, KM Obaidur Rahman MP, left the courtroom without permission.

"As I pointed out the matter to the public prosecutor, he then called Obaidur Rahman to the court," he said.

Anisul Huq, chief public prosecutor of the Jail Killing Case and three other public prosecutors resigned on March 24 in protest against what they called 'government interference'.

"In our resignation we had said that the government is trying to shield the BNP leaders and acquit them through this trial," Anisul Huq told the UNB.