Attack on UK envoy: Full text of verdict released
The Supreme Court has released the full text of its verdict that upheld the death penalty of three militants of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, in a case filed for the 2004 grenade attack on the then UK envoy in Bangladesh.
The apex court released the verdict on Tuesday clearing the way for the government to start the process for executing the three condemned militants. The two other death row convicts in the case are Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain alias Ripon.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star that the jail authorities will start the process for executing the three convicts after receiving the certified copy of the SC verdict.
The death penalty will be executed within 21 to 28 days after the trial court issues the death warrant against them as per the Jail Code, he said, adding that the execution will be halted if the convicts move any review petition before the SC against the judgement.
The defence lawyer of the convicts Advocate Mohammad Ali told this correspondent that his clients will move a review petition before the Appellate Division against its verdict that confirmed their death sentence.
The review petition will be filed within 30 days after receiving the certified copy of the verdict, he said, adding that the government should not start any process for executing them until their review petition is disposed of.
The SC on December 7 last year upheld the death penalty of Mufti Abdul Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain alias Ripon in the case filed for the 2004 grenade attack on the then UK envoy in Bangladesh.
Mufti Hannan is also an accused in 24 other criminal cases including those filed for the grenade attack on the Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on August 21, 2004. Twenty-four people were killed and around 300 others were injured in the grenade attack.
Trial proceedings of those 24 cases are now running in the trial courts.
In 2004, former UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Chowdhury was hurt along with around 70 others and three were killed in the attack at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in Sylhet.
The Bangladesh-born envoy, barely 18 days into his new assignment, suffered minor leg injuries in the grenade attack after Juma prayers.
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