SC upholds death sentences of Mufti Hannan, 2 others for grenade attack on UK high commissioner

The Appellate Division on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of Mufti Abdul Hannan, chief of banned outfit Harkatul-Jihad Al Islami and its two other leaders as they were found guilty of murdering three persons and injuring former UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004.
On May 21, 2004, assistant police sub-inspector Kamal Uddin and by standers Rubel and Habil Mia were killed on the spot while Anwar Chowhury and the then Sylhet deputy commissioner Abul Hossain were injured besides 38 others by grenades thrown by the Huji men as the British High Commissioner was about to enter the shrine. 
The Hujimen threw the grenades targeting Anwar Choudhury’s motorcade, says the case documents.
From Sylhet town, the high commissioner was due to leave for Sunamganj, his birthplace.
The incident took place within days of Anwar Chowdhury joined his new assignment.
A four-judge bench chaired by Chief Justice SK Sinha pronounced the verdict after dismissing the appeals filed by Hannan, Sharif Shahidul Alam Bipul and Md Delwar Hossain Ripon challenging a High Court verdict that upheld their death sentences 10 months back.
They would file petitions seeking review of the apex court decision, their lawyers Mohammad Ali and Helal Uddin Mollah told reporters.
On February 11 the High Court upheld the trial court’s verdict handing death sentence to the three and life-term to Mohibullah alias Mofizur, also Mufti Hannan’s brother, and Mufti Moinuddin alias Abu Jandal for grenade attacks.
Mohibullah and Moinuddin, however, did not appeal against their convictions. 
The grenade attack took place in the backdrop of a series of such attacks across the country.
Mufti Hannan, who was arrested by police on the first of October 2005 in Dhaka, had reportedly confessed that it was he had supplied grenades for the attack.
On June 23, 2014, a Dhaka court sentenced Mufti Hannan and seven others to death and six others to life terms for a series of grenade attacks during Pahela Baisakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul in 2001.
Their death reference is pending with the High Court.
Hannan, along with 49 others, many of them leaders of BNP face the charge of grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004 at Bangbandhu Avenue that killed 24 people, including Awami League leader Ivy Rahman and left the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina injured.
Mufti Hannan was in media headlines after his abortive attempt to kill Sheikh Hasina, then the prime minister, at her birth place Kotalipara in July, 2000.  

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