HC order on bail of 18 convicts today

The High Court is set to deliver its orders today on nine bail petitions filed by 18 convicts in a case filed over the attack on Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's motorcade at Kolaroa in Satkhira in 2002.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton yesterday set the date after concluding hearing on the petitions.

Lawyers AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Gazi Mohsin argued for the convicted petitioners, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and AAG SM Munir opposed the petitions.

The 18 convicts including lawyers Abdus Sattar and Abdus samad, who have been sentenced to four years' to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment by the trial court in Satkhira, recently filed the petitions, said AAG SM Munir.

On August 30, 2002, then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, now the prime minister, visited the house of a freedom fighter, after his wife was allegedly raped, in Hizaldi village of Kolaroa upazila.

While she was returning to Jashore, BNP men kept a bus haphazardly on a road near the office of Kolaroa upazila BNP. As Hasina's motorcade reached the area, they launched an attack on it, according to the case statement.

At least 12 people, including AL leaders and journalists, were injured in the attack, said Satkhira court inspector Amol Kumar Roy.

On September 2 of that year, Kolaroa unit freedom fighters' commander filed the case against 27 named and 70 to 75 unnamed accused. The accused included several BNP leaders and activists in Satkhira.

On February 4 this year, Satkhira's Chief Judicial Magistrate Court convicted and sentenced 50 people in the case. Among them, 34 were sent to jail the same day. The others are absconding.