Court orders death for six, life imprisonment for another in 2015 Ashulia bank heist

A Dhaka court has found nine people guilty for murders and robbery at the Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd’s branch in Savar’s Ashulia in April last year.

In its verdict, delivered on Tuesday, District and Sessions Judge SM Kuddus Zaman has ordered the death penalty for six, life in prison for one and three-year jail terms for two others.

It has acquitted two others as charges against them could not be proven.

Seven people were shot dead by a gang of robbers during the daylight heist at the bank’s branch in Ashulia’s Kathgorha Bazar on Apr 21, 2015. A robber was lynched by locals after the heist.

Five, including the bank’s manager, were killed on the spot.

The robbers had fired while trying to flee and exploded crude bombs, as locals tried to surround them.

Two more succumbed to bullet wounds at Savar’s Enam Medical College Hospital later that day.

Nearly Tk 600,000 was recovered by locals who resisted the robbers.

Quoting the confessions of those arrested, police later said the robbery was intended to raise funds for militant activities.

Charges were pressed against 11 people, ten of whom were behind bars.

Seven of them, who confessed to their involvement in the crime, are members of the banned militant outfit, Jamaat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Those sentenced to death are Borhan Uddin, Saiful alias Al-Amin, Mahfuzul Islam aka ‘Sumon’ aka ‘Jamil’, Jashimuddin, Mintu Pradhan and Palash aka Sohel Rana.

Palash is absconding.

Police said Mahfuzul Islam who led the robbery is a high-ranking member of the Ansarullah Bangla Team.

Other convicts, except Mintu Pradhan, are also members of the JMB.

Apart from handing down the death penalty, the court also fined them Tk 10,000 each.

Ukil Hasan was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Tk 5,000. Those handed down three-year prison terms are Abdul Baten and Shahjahan Jamadar. They were also fined Tk 3,000.

The judge while giving the verdict said, “This was not just a daylight robbery. It was a well-planned killing of eight civilians in cold blood.

Four among the victims were killed inside the bank without any protest or provocation.”

Describing convicts’ demeanour during the trial, he said, “I did not see remorse in their faces, expressions or behaviour. They did not commit the crime because the situation forced them to.

“This is why, after going through the evidence and testimonies, I feel it is appropriate to give them exemplary punishment.”

“Creating precedence is necessary for the inhumane and cruel method they applied in killing eight innocent people. Such punishment is required for setting an example.”

The prosecution is satisfied with the verdict that came a year after the incident, lawyer Abdul Mannan told bdnews24.com.

“The verdict was delivered promptly. This should be the way of handing other cases too.”

Of the 97 witnesses in the case, 64 testified in court, he said. 

The defence, lawyer Faruk Ahmed said, they would move the Appeals court against the verdict.