The High Court (HC) in the full text of verdict over Kotalipara bomb attack case observed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have repeatedly faced assassination attempts of militants for being a woman leader.
In the verdict, the higher court said that the plan to kill Sheikh Hasina by blasting bombs at Kotalipara in Gopalganj in 2000 is a dark chapter in the history of the country. The militant activities must be eradicated from the country for the interest of people, observed the HC.
The 86-page full text of verdict was released on Monday (August 9). The verdict was uploaded on the website of the Supreme Court.
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Badruzzaman delivered the verdict on the death reference and appeals in the case on February 17. At that time, the court delivered the verdict in Bangla in honour of the month of language.
Confirming the matter, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah said, “The 86-page verdict was published on Monday after being signed by Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Badruzzaman.”
The HC bench in its verdict upheld the death sentence of 10 militants, who are the leaders and activists of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), in the case of plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by planting a 76-kg bomb near a rally site at Kotalipara in Goplaganj in 2000.
The HC bench also upheld the life-term imprisonment to one convict and 14 years’ imprisonment to two other convicts. The court, however, acquitted one convict in the case.
The death row convicts are- Yusuf alias Abu Musa Harun, Sheikh Farid alias Maulana Shawkat Osman, Wasim Akhter, Rashed Driver alias Abul Kalam, Maulana Abu Bakkar, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Hafez Maulana Yahya, Mufti Abdul Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hai and Maulana Abdur Rauf alias Abu Omar.
Besides, the life-term to Mehedi Hasan alias Abdul Wadud was also upheld.
The 14 years’ rigorous imprisonment and one more year imprisonment for non-payment of a fine of Tk 10,000 to Anisul alias Anis, Md Mahibullah alias Mofizur Rahman and Sarwar Hossain Mia were also upheld by the High Court.
However, the two accused were asked to be released from the jail as they have already meted out the sentence. Sarwar Hossain Mia, who was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment in the lower court, has been released.
Delivering the verdict on February 17, the HC bench had said that if perpetrators were successful in implementing their plan to blast two powerful bombs weighing 76-kg and 40-kg respectively, the incident would be similar to the August 15 massacre.
The 76-kg bomb was recovered on July 21 in 2000, and two days later, the 40-kg bomb was recovered from Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College in Kotalipara, where Awami League President and the-then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina was supposed to address the rally on July 22 in 2000. Later, a case was filed in this regard.
On August 20 in 2017, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 sentenced 10 militants to death in the case. Besides, four accused were sentenced to different terms.
