17 Islamist militants jailed for 2005 serial blasts in Bangladesh

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced 17 JMB operatives to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment each for their involvement in the serial bomb blasts in Gazipur on August 17, 2005.

The court also fined the members of the outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Tk 10,000 each or in default one year's jail.

Eleven of the convicts were present in court during the pronouncement of the verdict. They are Rokonuddin Rokon, Mamunur Rashid Mamun, Arifur Rahman Arif, Nizam Uddin, Nurul Huda, Mahbubul Alam, Jahirul Islam, Afzal Hossain, Md Hasib, Kawsar and Omar Faruk.

Md Russel, Abdul Kafi, MA Siddiqui Bablu, Rana alias Abdus Sattar, Masum alias Abdur Rauf and Raihan alias Obayed are on the run. 

Judge Abdur Rahman Sardar of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 acquitted Hasan Mahbubur Rahman Mahbub, Durul Islam Jobair and Taibur Rahman Hasan of the charges.

The court delivered the verdict after completion of the cross-examinations of all the 50 prosecution witnesses.

On August 17, 2005, the militant outfit simultaneously blasted several bombs at nine places in Gazipur, including in front of the additional deputy commissioner's (tax) office.

Joydebpur police later filed a case against 23 JMB men, including its chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman in this connection.

But the names of Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman were struck off the case as they were earlier executed in the judges' killing case in Jhalakathi.

A charge sheet in the case was submitted on October 12, 2005 while a supplementary charge sheet on May 25, 2006.

In 2012, a Gazipur court shifted the case to the Dhaka Speedy Tribunal Judge-4 of Dhaka for its quick disposal.