Hasina murder attempt: HC upholds death penalty for 10

The High Court has upheld a lower court verdict that sentenced 10 convicts to death in a case lodged over an attempt to murder Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Kotalipara of Gopalganj in 2000.

A virtual HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossen Selim and Justice Md Badruzzaman passed the order Wednesday.

The death-row convicts are Wasim Akter, Rashed driver alias Abul Kalam, Yousuf alias Abu Musa Harun, Sheikh Farida alias Mawlana Shawkot Osman, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Mawlana Abu Bakkar, Hafez Mawlana Yahia, Fufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai and Mawlana Abdur Rouf alias Abu Omor.

The HC also upheld the life term imprisonment for Mehedi Hasan alias Abdul Wadud and acquitted Saroar Hossen in the case. 

On August 20, 2017, Dhaka 2nd Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced 10 people to death in the case.

According to the case documents, army men recovered a 76kg powerful bomb on July 22, 2000, from the premises of Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Government Ideal College when a podium was being made for the prime minister’s rally.

Another powerful bomb was recovered in the area the very next day. Then Kotalipara police station sub-inspector Nur Hossain filed a case in this regard on that day.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) assistant superintendent of police Munshi Atikur Rahman on April 8, 2001, filed a charge sheet against Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and others.

Later the case was transferred to the Dhaka court.

Mufti Hannan has already been executed on April 12, 2017, for a grenade attack at Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) shrine in Sylhet in 2004. 

His name was dropped from the prime minister murder attempt case.