Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina survived 20 attempts on her life after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. None of the assailants succeeded in their attempts.
“Assailants have made attempts on Sheikh Hasina’s life at least 20 times since the killing of Bangabandhu. It may be possible to prevent the recurrence of such heinous acts by giving exemplary punishment to the criminals as well as the assailants,” a Dhaka court has made the observation while delivering its judgement in a case over an attempt to murder the PM.
Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka Abu Zafar Mohammad Kamruzzaman pronounced the judgement on Tuesday (March 23) against 14 militants in a sedition case filed in connection with the attempt to murder Sheikh Hasina at Kotalipara of Gopalganj in 2000. He read out the observation during pronouncement of the verdict.
The court in its observation said, “The anti-liberation forces were involved in various conspiracies against Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after the Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971. As part of the conspiracy, they had assassinated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members in a planned way to destroy the country. The conspirators began plotting to assassinate Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina after her return to the country in 1981, and the conspirators attempted to kill her at least 20 times in various ways. Exemplary punishment can prevent such heinous plot.”
In the observation, the court further said, “According to the statement given by chief of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) Mufti Abdul Hannan before the court, the militants at a central committee meeting of Huji in July, 2000, decided to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to overthrow the legitimate democratic government.
In that year, a 76-kg heavy bomb and another 40-kg bomb were planted at the venue of Sheikh Hasina’s rally and near the helipad at Kotalipara in Gopalganj. Police recovered the bombs from the venue of Sheikh Hasina’s rally after one Badiuzzaman had informed the police of the matter. Not only in the incident of Goplaganj, such attempts to kill Sheikh Hasina were made several times.
“However, militants are responsible for the Kotalipara plot. So, it may be possible to prevent the recurrence of such heinous acts by giving exemplary punishment to members of Huji, JMB and other militants and accused in such crimes.”
The court categorically said that the militants were conspiring to overthrow the government. The main objective of the militant group Huji was to grab the state power through assassination of Sheikh Hasina. They thought, that was the high time to materialize their deep-rooted conspiracy. So, they had planned to launch attack at that time, said the judge.
However, the accused in the case during their arguments denied the allegations and claimed that the allegations brought against them were false and fabricated. Their claim has not been proved in the court, said the judge.
The judge, however, said that the prosecution has been able to prove the allegations against the accused. The recovered evidence as well as two bombs were examined by an expert team of the Army.
