Former Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and Major General (retd) Abdul Latif were acquitted in a case filed over the murder of Major General (retd) Abul Manzur.
First Additional District and Sessions Judge of Dhaka Dilara Alo Chandana acquitted them as they died already after accepting the supplementary charge sheet in the case.
The court framed the charge against Major (retd) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt. Col. (retd) Mostofa Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan and Lt. Col. (retd) Shamsur Rahman Shams.
The court also fixed April 6 for taking testimony in the case.
Maj Gen Manzur was killed at Chattogram Cantonment on June 1, 1981, just two days into the assassination of the then president Ziaur Rahman.
A total of 26 judges have heard the murder case since it was filed on August 28, 1995. The judges were either promoted or transferred to other districts.