2 Huji cadres handed 20yrs for possessing grenades

A court in Satkhira yesterday sentenced two Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) cadres to 20 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) each for possession of 44 Arges grenades.
The court also fined the two Huji operatives Tk 20,000 each or in default to suffer one more year of RI.
The two men sentenced are Moin Uddin alias Abu Zandal, a close aide to Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) chief Mufti Hannan, who led the August 21 blasts on an Awami League (AL) rally in Dhaka and Nazrul Islam Gharami, son of Mujibur Rahman Gharami from Shimulia village in Debhata upazila.
According to the prosecution, based on information from Zandal's confessions members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Nazrul Islam Gharami from Nalta bazar in Kaliganj upazila.
His confession led to Rab discovering the 44 grenades of Arges brand hidden in a pond in Shimulia village under Debhata upazila on February 15.
The same day, sub-inspector (SI) Tariqul Islam of Rab-6 Khulna filed a case with Debhata police station accusing Moin Uddin alias Abu Zandal and Nazrul Islam for possession of the grenades.
On March 17 the investigation officer (IO) of the case, Inspector Lokman Hakim who is also the officer in charge (OC) of Debhata police station, submitted the charge sheet against both the accused before the chief judicial magistrate's court in Satkhira.
Earlier on May 29, the court framed charges against the two and the trial began on June 4.
Judge Ashish Ranjan Das of the District and Sessions Judge's Court handed down the verdict after examining all records and deposition of 16 witnesses.
Public prosecutor (PP) Tapan Kumar Chakraborty conducted the case for the state while advocate Sheikh Nizam Uddin defended the accused.
Out of the 44 grenades seized from Shimulia village, 41 are identical to the Arges grenades that were exploded in the August 21 attack on an Awami League (AL) rally in Dhaka in 2004, Rab sources said.