Top court releases full verdict rejecting HuJI chief Mufti Hannan's review plea over attack on UK envoy

The Supreme Court has published the full verdict rejecting review petitions of Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) chief Mufti Hannan and two others in the 2004 grenade attack on UK envoy.

The verdict has been posted on the apex court's website after the three judges signed it on Tuesday.

Copies of the verdict will be sent to the prison authorities on Tuesday via the High Court and the trial court, High Court Division's Additional Registrar Md Sabbir Foyez told bdnews24.com.

After the Appellate Division upheld the High Court's verdict ordering death sentences, the three petitioned for a review of the verdict, which was turned down on Mar 19.

The trio is now left with the only option of seeking presidential clemency by admitting guilt.

If they do not go for it or the president rejects their plea, the government will go ahead with the executions.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the prison authorities will execute the verdict following all legal procedures in line with the jail code.

In May 2004, then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury came under a grenade attack while coming out of the Hazrat Shahjalal’s shrine in his hometown Sylhet.

Police's Assistant Sub-inspector Kamal Uddin died instantly. Constable Rubel Ahmed and one Habil Miah succumbed to their injuries in a hospital later.

The envoy was injured along with nearly 40 employees of the Sylhet district administration.

Mufti Hannan was arrested in September 2005 from Dhaka's Badda.

In December 2008, a Sylhet court ordered death sentences for Mufti Hannan and two other HuJI activists, Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul and Delwar Hossain alias Ripon.

It also ordered life in prison for two others, Mohibullah alias Mofizur Rahman and Mufti Moin Uddin alias Abu Zandal.

All of the five convicts, who are in jail now, moved the High Court, but failed to get a verdict in their favour.

Mufti Hannan and the two other death-row convict challenged the decision at the Appellate Division, which on Dec 7 last year upheld the sentences.

As the last legal option, they filed a petition for a review of the verdict, which was also turned down this month.

Mufti Hannan

Mufti Hannan is said to be the mastermind of 13 terrorist attacks, including an attempt on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's life, perpetrated by the banned militant group Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI).

Educated at a madrasa, Mufti Hannan hails from Gopalganj's Kotaliparha.

He faces trial for planting a bomb made with 76 kg of explosives near the venue of a public rally addressed by Sheikh Hasina at Kotaliparha in 2000.

Mufti Hannan has been sentenced to death for the 2001 bombings at Dhaka's Ramna Park on the Bengali New Year.

On Mar 6 this year, a prison van carrying him from court to Gazipur's Kashimpur prison came under a bomb attack, in what the police say was an attempt to snatch him.