HC to deliver verdict today
The High Court is set to deliver its verdict today on the case filed for attempting to kill Awami League leader and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by planting a 76-kilogramme bomb at Gopalganj's Kotalipara in 2000.
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Badruzzaman will announce the verdict based on death reference (lower court documents) and convicts' appeals against the lower court judgement, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star yesterday.
On February 1, the bench set today to deliver the verdict, after concluding hearing on death reference and appeals.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, Additional Attorney General Sheikh Md Morshed and Deputy Attorney General Dr Bashir appeared for the state, while Amulya Kumar Sarker placed arguments as state defence lawyer for the absconding convicts. Lawyers SM Shahjahan, Mohammad Ahsan and Mohammad Nasiruddin stood for the convicts in jail.
During hearing, the attorney general prayed to the HC to uphold the trial court verdict, saying that those convictedhave committed a serious and unpardonable offence.
The defence prayed to the HC to acquit their clients, saying that the trial court has delivered the verdict on basis of the confessional statement of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) leader Mufti Abdul Hannan.
The bomb was recovered at Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College of Kotalipara on July 21, 2000. Hasina was supposed to address a rally there the next day. Then sub-inspector Nur Hossain of Kotalipara Police Station filed the case under Explosive Substances Act.
Criminal Investigation Department submitted charge sheet against Mufti Hannan and 24 others on April 8, 2001, showing 83 people as prosecution witnesses. Gopalganj District and Sessions Judge's Court framed charges against the 25 accused on July 2 the same year. The Gopalganj court recorded statements of 40 prosecution witnesses, including the case's complainant. The case was then shifted to the Speedy Trial Tribunal for quick disposal.
Tribunal-2 in Dhaka on August 20, 2017 handed death sentence to 10 leaders and activists of Huji. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, and three were handed 14 years in jail. Of the accused, 13 are in jail and 11 on the run.
The court acquitted 10 others. Mufti Hannan was found guilty but was acquitted as he was executed on April 12, 2017 for killing three people, as well as injuring former British high commissioner to Bangladesh and a dozen others in Sylhet in 2004.
Comments