A court sentenced five police personnel to death for killing 24 people in Awami League's rally in Laldighi ground in Port city Chattogram on 24 January, 1988. All those convicted of killing by indiscriminate firing on a public rally in the presence of the present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are members of the police force. The verdict was announced in the presence of four convicts, one remains absconding.
The rally was called to protest the activities of the then incumbent president, General Hussein Mohammad Ershad. Lawyer Md Shahidul Huda filed a case on Mar 5, 1992 following the fall of military strongman Ershad in 1990 over the incident. The Awami League-led government revived the case after it assumed office in 1996.
The crime investigation agency CID had submitted the chargesheet of the case to the court in 1998 in which eight police personnel including Mirza Rakibul Huda the then police commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police CMP was accused of complicity in the massacre. Meanwhile, the main accused Rakibul Huda, and other two accused police constables Abdus Salam and Bashir Uddin are dead.
On Monday, in the verdict Chattogram District and Sessions Judge Md Ismail Hossain sentenced five accused namely, patrol inspector of police JC Mondal, Constable Prodip Barua, Constable Mustafizur Rahaman, Constable Shah Mohammad Abdullah and Constable Momtaz Uddin to death.
The court also sentenced each of the five accused to 10 years in prison for ‘causing severe injury with dangerous weapons’. Advocate Iftekhar Saimul Chy, the plaintiffs’ lawyer told the journalists that as per the provisions of Sections 302 and 326 of the Penal Code, the accused have been sentenced to death with a fine of taka fifty thousand and ten years imprisonment.
“Soon after the massacre the case was not filed for fear of the Ershad government. The next BNP government also created various obstacles, he added. The proceedings of this case have been taken up by tackling many hurdles. He said. “Though it has taken more than three decades to punish the criminals, yet we are happy” said Iftekhar Saimul and other lawyers present on the court premises.
In the verdict, many lawyers cheered ’Joy Bangla’ and ‘Joy Bangabandhu, expressing their joy on the court premises. Lawyers involved with the case said that the verdict is based on the testimony given by a total of 5 witnesses. During the hearing, witnesses told the court that, Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, was travelling towards the rally site when police opened fire on her motorcade and people in the rally.
Lawyers and party leaders- workers made human shield and took the party chief to the court building. After the verdict was announced, the then prominent Chhatra League leader Farid Uddin described the horrific incident of the day. “ I cannot express the situation, they (police) killed our friends with bayonet who was not dead from bullet. I have survived luckily.” He said showing the signs of torture on his body. Now he expects to see the execution of the verdict.
None of the lawyers of the accused were present in the court on Monday morning in the pre-scheduled hearing of the case. As per law the judge decided to declare the verdict, the final step of the case, said Advocate Mejbah Uddin, the metropolitan Public Prosecutor of Chattogram Court . But while talking over phone Barraster Sayed Ashsan, lawyer of the accused, told this reporter, “They will now apply in higher court.”
