Attack on Hasina’s motorcade in 2002: HC clears way to resume trial proceedings

The High Court today cleared the way for the lower court concerned to resume the trial proceedings of a case filed over the attack on a motorcade of the then opposition leader and now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Satkhira in 2002.

The court lifted its stay order on the trial proceedings of the case and also discharged the rule issued more than three years back, questioning the proceedings.

It also directed the trial court to finish the proceedings of the case in three months.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice MdKamrul Hossain delivered the verdict after virtually holding hearing on the rule.

AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, lawyer for Rakib alias Rakibur Rahman, an accused of the case, told The Daily Star that the HC has discharged the rule as the trial court has recorded the statements from the witnesses.

Read more: 50 Satkhira BNP men indicted

There is no legal bar for the trial court to resume the proceedings of the case following the HC judgement, he said.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon, however, said his client Rakibur Rahman will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict as he was 10 years old during the attack on Sheikh Hasina's motorcade.    

The case is now pending with the chief judicial magistrate court in Satkhira, he informed.    

Following a petition filed by Rakib, another HC bench on August 23, 2017 stayed the trial proceedings of the case and issued the rule asking the state why the trial proceedings against Rakib should not be scrapped.  

In the petition, Rakib claimed that he was 10 years old when the incident of bomb attack took place on the motorcade of Sheikh Hasina in 2002 and therefore, the trial proceedings of the case that has been filed under the penal code against him cannot run.

During hearing on the rule recently, Rakib's lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon told the HC that the trial proceedings against Rakib could take place under the Child Act, 2013 as he was a minor at the time of bomb attack.

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General SM Munir told the HC that Rakib was 32 years old during the incident as per the first information report of the case.

Petitioner Rakib did not inform the trial court that he was 10 years old during the incident and therefore there is no legal bar to run the trial against him, SM Munir said.     

Police have earlier submitted charge sheet against 50 accused including Rakib to the trial court concerned in Satkhira in connection with the case.