Staff Reporter :The High Court has upheld the death sentence of Mufti Hannan and two other militants in a case filed over the grenade attack on former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury.The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Amir Hossain pronounced the verdict on Thursday. The court also upheld the verdict of life term imprisonment to two other militants of the Harkat-ul-Zihad. Both the plaintiff and defence lawyers completed submitting their reports on February 3. Later on that day, the HC bench fixed Thursday for delivering the verdict. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state while Advocate AKM Fayez, Advocate Mohammad Ali and state appointed lawyer Advocate Hasna Begum stood for the appellants during the hearing at the HC. During the appeal hearing, Mahbubey Alam said that the militants were involved in the attack and their target was the-then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury. Anwar Choudhury, the Bangladesh-born UK envoy, came under the grenade attack on May 21 in 2004 at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in Sylhet after Jumma prayers. Three policemen were killed in the attack, while 40 people, including Anwar Choudhury and Sylhet’s Deputy Commissioner, suffered injuries in the incident. Assistant Sub-Inspector Kamal Uddin died on the spot and constables Rubel Ahmed and Habil Miah died from their wounds later in a hospital.Two cases were filed in connection with the grenade attack. One was filed for murder and another under the Explosive Act. In the case for the murder, the Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal of Sylhet on December 23 in 2008 awarded death sentence to Harkat-ul-Zihad leaders Mufti Abdul Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain Ripon. Mufti Muhibur Rahman, who is Mufti Hannan’s brother, and Mufti Mainuddin were awarded life term and fined Tk. 10,000 each.All five of the convicts are now in prison. The convicted prisoners through the prison authorities in 2009 filed separate appeals with the High Court against the trial court verdict that awarded them death penalty and life term imprisonment in the case. Anwar Choudhury was visiting the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) during a three-day trip to Sylhet and Sunamganj, his birthplace, days after he came in Bangladesh as British High Commissioner to Bangladesh. The 700-year-old shrine jolted with the force of the blast with a big bang during the grenade attack, sending the devotees running for cover.
