ATTEMPT TO KILL HASINA 11 jailed for life term, 20 years
A metropolitan sessions court in Dhaka on Sunday jailed 11 people for life term in a case and 20 years in another case for an attempt to kill Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now the prime minister, in 1989.
Additional metropolitan sessions judge Md Zahidul Kabir in presence of eight accused out of 12 as the rest four were still in hiding.
According to the records of the cases, the accused, Freedom Party leaders and activists, launched at attack on Hasina’s the then house at Dhanmondi 32, now Bangabandhu Bhaban, at night on August 10, 1989 to kill Hasina. Hasina was at the house during the attack.
Accused former Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Rashid, Golam Sarwar alias Mamun, Judge Mia, Freedom Sohel,
Syed Nazmul Maksud Murad, Md Shahjahan alias Balu, Gazi Imam Hossain, Khandakar Amirul Islam Kajal, Mizanur Rahman, Humayun Kabir and Zafar Ahmed alias Manik were jailed for 20 years on charge of attempt to murder.
The same accused were also jailed by the same court for life term in the other case filed under the Explosive Substances Act for the same incident.
Of the convicts, former Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Rashid, Humayun Kabir, and Zafar Ahmed alias Manik were tried in their absence as they were still in hiding.
The court, however, acquitted another accused Humayun Kabir of the charges in both the cases.
In both the cases, 12 of the 13 prosecution witnesses testified against the convicts.
According to the case statement, a group of 10-12 Freedom Party activists carried out the attack on the house on August 10, 1989. They opened fire and hurled grenades in a bid to kill Hasina, who was staying at the house. The attackers left the place chanting slogan ‘Faruk-Rashid Jindabad’
(Long live Faruk and Rashid).
Zahirul Islam, a police member who was posted there as security guard, filed the two cases with Dhanmondi police station.
Police submitted two charge sheets against the 12 accused on February 20, 1997 and charges were framed against them on July 5, 2009.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
