Bangladesh News

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) military commander Ataur Rahman Sunny and four others to 11 years’ rigorous imprisonment and acquitted one in an August 17 bomb blast case.

The four other accused are Rezaul Haq Reza of Jamalpur, Habibur Rahman Habib and Abdullah Al Shohail of Gazipur and Mohammad Sagir Hossain of Dhaka.

Sunny, Reza and Shohail were present in the court during the delivery of the judgment while Habib and Sagir were tried in absentia.

Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court handed down the verdict at a packed courtroom.

The court acquitted Mustafizur Rahman Musa of Naogaon as the charge brought against him was not proved.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender, the judgement said.

Detective Branch (DB) of Police on November 24 last year pressed charges against the four in connection with a bomb blast near Zia International Airport concourse hall around 11:25am on August 17, 2005.

Reza had given a confessional statement to a magistrate, naming the JMB militants involved in the blasts.

The court recorded statements of 47 prosecution witnesses in the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station.

Investigation officer (IO) of the case, DB Inspector Mohammad Fazlul Haq, submitted the charge sheet to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka.

In the charge sheet, the IO however dropped the names of former Islamic Foundation director Maulana Fariduddin Masud, Israq Ahmad Siraji, accounts officer of Masud’s Islahul Muslimeen Parishad of Bangladesh, and Sayeed Nizami, coordinator of the Parishad.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Shahidul Islam appeared for the state while state appointed lawyer Abdul Hannan defended the accused.