Court Correspondent :
The Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 of Dhaka yesterday sentenced 10 persons to death in two cases filed over an attempt to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Judge Momtaz Begum of the tribunal passed the order on Sunday noon. The court also sentenced another person to life term imprisonment and three others to 14 years’ imprisonment. Of the 14 convicts, nine persons were sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for making bombs. The court acquitted 10 other accused, as charges against them were not proved beyond all doubts.
The death now convicts are Wasim Akter alias Tarek, Md Rashed Driver alias Abul Kalam, Md Yusuf alias Moshat Morol, Md Sheikh Farid alias Moulana Shawkat Osman, Hafej Zahangir alam Badar, Moulana abu Bakar alias Hafej Selim Howlader, Hafej Maulana Yahia, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Mufti Abdul Hye and Moulalna Abdur Rauf alias Abdur Razzaque.
Mehedi Hasan alias Abdul Wadud was sentenced to life term imprisonment while Anisul Islam alias Anis, Md Nohibullah alias Mohidur Rahman and Sarwar Hossain Mia were given 14 years imprisonment.
Earlier, on August 10, the court fixed August 20 to pronounce the verdict after completion of arguments of both prosecution and defence sides. The court examined 68 witnesses out of 83.
Police recovered a powerful bomb weighing 76 kilograms from near the ground of Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College of Gopalganj’s Kotalipara on July 20, 2000 while preparing a pandal of rally where Sheikh Hasina was set to address a public meeting. She was scheduled to attend the rally on July 22 of that year.
Later, the case was filed in this connection. On April 8, 2001, the Criminal Investigation Department submitted the charge sheets of the cases to the court against 10 accused, including earlier executed Mufti Abdul Hannan.
