Hasina Killing Plot High Court upholds death for 10

The High Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of 10 extremists for plotting to kill Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at her home district in Gopalganj in 2000 during her first term as the prime minister.

The bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Badruzzaman upheld the death sentences of all the 10 extremists, who were earlier convicted by the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 on August 20, 2017.

The 10 condemned extremists are Washim Akhter alias Tareq Hossain, Md Rashed Driver, Sheikh Farid, Moulana Abdur Roub, Mawlana Abu Bakkar, M Yusuf alias Abu Musa Harun, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Mufti Abdul Haye, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman and Hafez Mowlana Yahia.

Six of the 10 convicts, who are now detained in various jails across the country, have appealed challenging their convictions, deputy attorney general Bashir Ullah told New Age.

The High Court also upheld the life term of another convict named Mehedi Hasan and the 14-year jail  terms of another convict named Anisul alias Anis.

The court acquitted a primary school teacher named Sarwar Hossain, who was earlier jailed for 14 years by the lower court for plotting to kill Hasina, as the prosecution could not provide sufficient evidence in support of the charges. 

The court asked the authorities concerned to free another convict Mohibullah Alias Mafizur Rahman, who was also sentenced to 14 years in jail by the lower court, for charges of plotting to kill on the consideration that he had already completed his 14-year jail term.

The tribunal in 2017 sentenced the 10 extremists to death, one to life and three other to varying terms for their involvement in an aborted attempt to kill Hasina, the then prime minister, and her entourage during an election campaigns at Kotalipara, Gopalganj on July 20, 2000, by planting two caches of powerful bombs — one weighing 76 Kilograms, another 40 Kilograms — next to the podium.

The High Court observed that the condemned convicts, in collusion with the executed extremist leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, conspired to annihilate the prime minister and to destroy key establishments in the district in the name of resisting women’s rule in the country and ensure the removal of the Awami League, a party they referred to as ‘Indian agent and the enemy of Islam’.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/130429/high-court-upholds-death-for-10