1994 HASINA TRAIN ATTACK Nine BNP leaders to die

The Pabna Special Tribunal 3 on Wednesday sentenced nine Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists to death and 25 others to life on charge of attack on a train carrying the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, now the prime minister, in 1994.

The tribunal judge Rustom Ali also jailed 13 other leaders and activists of BNP and associate bodies for 10 years.

The tribunal sentenced to death BNP Ishwardi municipal unit general secretary Zakaria Pintu, its former presidents AKM Akhteruzzaman and former municipal mayor Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu, his brothers former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Ishwardi upazila unit president and Ishwardi Government College Central Students’ Union former vice-president Rezaul Karim Shaheen and former Rajshahi University Chhatra Dal leader Mahbubur Rahman Palash, municipal Juba Dal president Mostafa Nur-e-Alam Shyamal, Swechchhasebak Dal leader Azizur Rahman Shahin and BNP activists Shamsul Alam and Shahidul Islam.

The nine were also fined Tk 5 lakh each and they would need to serve three more years in jail if failed to pay the fine.

Ishwardi upazila BNP general secretary Alauddin Biswas, municipal BNP organising secretary Ismail Hossain Jewel and activists Aminul Islam, Azad Hossain Khokon, Shamsur Rahman, Anisur Rahman, Akkel Ali, Mohammad Rabi, Md Enam, Abul Kashem, Kala Babu, Md Abdullah Al Mamun, Mamunur Rashid, Selim Hossain, Md Kollol, Tuhin, Shah Alam Liton, Abdullah Al Mamun, Laizu, Abdul Jabbar, Palash, Hakim Uddin Tenu, Alamgir Hossain, Abul Kalam and AKM Firozul Islam were jailed for life term.

The tribunal also fined the 25 Tk 3 lakh each and ordered them to serve two more years in jail if they failed to pay the fine.

The tribunal jailed 13 local BNP activists — Nefaur Rahman Raju, Azmal Hossain, Anwar Hossain Jony, Md Rono, Md Barkat, Chand Ali, Enamul Kabir, Moktar Hossain, Hafizur Rahman Mukul, Humayun Kabir Dulal, Jamrul, Tuhin Bin Siddique and Fazlur Rahman — for 10 years.

They were also fined Tk 1 lakh each. They would need to serve one more year in jail if they fail to pay the fine.

The judge pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom with 34 of the 47 accused in the dock. The 34 were produced before the court from and sent back to jail.

The rest 13 — Jakaria Pintu, Azad Hossain Khokon, Aminul Islam, Mohammad Rabi, Abul Kashem, Kala Babu, Mamunur Rashid Mamun, Abdullah Al Mamun, Abul Kalam, Md Rono, Chand Ali, Humayun Kabir Dulal and Jamrul — are in hiding.

The tribunal examined 37 of the 52 prosecution witnesses.

The prosecutors expressed satisfaction with the verdict saying that the verdict established justice at last while the defence lawyers alleged that the convicted people were deprived of justice and they would appeal against the judgement.

All the convicts are leaders and activists of BNP, Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal, Swechwashebak Dal and different wings of BNP, confirmed Pabna district BNP president Abdus Samad Mantu.

He alleged that it was a false case filed on ill political intension and the government ensure the convictions and sentences only to punish BNP.

Appeals would be filed against the verdict, he added.

On September 23, 1994, Sheikh Hasina was holding rallies at railway stations along the railway route from Khulna to Saidpur. As her train reached Pakshey railway station at Ishwardi in Pabna, it was attacked with crude bombs and gunshots.

The then Government Railway Police officer-in-charge at Ishwardi Nazrul Islam filed the case against seven leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies.

Investigation officer of the case sub-inspector Abdul Aziz submitted a final report in 1994 mentioning that the investigation could not gather enough evidences to prove the charges against the accused.

The court, however, ordered a reinvestigation into the case by the Criminal Investigation Department of police.

The CID submitted the charge sheet against 52 leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies on April 4, 1997.

Five of the 52 accused — Wasia, Ali Asgar, Md Khokon, Tuhin and Alamgir — have already died of old-age complications.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net