JMB man jailed for 10 years

Security beefed up on the Chittagong Court Building premises yesterday after an anonymous caller threatened a suicide bomb attack by the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the area. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced a member of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in a case filed over bomb blast before the then Hotel Sheraton (now Ruposhi Bangla Hotel) in the capital on August 17, 2005.
It also fined Rezaul Karim Reza Tk 5,000, in default to suffer three months more in jail.
Three other accused Abdullah Al Fattah alias Shakil, Hafez Enayetullah alias Apu and Tareq Iqbal were acquitted as charges against him were not proved.
After cross-examination of all 14 prosecution witnesses, the court pronounced the judgment.
Reza and the three accused were arrested on August 20, 2005.
According to the case statement, a time bomb went off in front of the five-star hotel in 2005, part of JMB's series of bomb blasts in 63 districts of the country.
On August 17, 2005, around 500 bombs exploded in half an hour from 11:30am at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts.