A trial court had sentenced nine BNP activists to death, 25 to life in prison and 13 others to 10 years in prison over the case
Published : 05 Feb 2025, 12:52 PM
The High Court has acquitted all 47 convicts, including nine BNP activists sentenced to death by a trial court, in a case over a bomb attack and shooting on a train carrying Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in Pabna’s Ishwardi in 1994.
The bench of Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam and Justice Md Hamidur Rahman delivered the verdict on Wednesday after hearing the death references and appeals by the suspects.
Barrister Kayser Kamal represented the suspects at the hearing, assisted by Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Maksud Ullah.
On Sept 23, 1994, during the reign of the first government led by BNP chief Khaleda Zia, Hasina was part of a train march programme. On her way by train from Khulna to Syedpur, she was to take a break at Ishwardi Railway Station and attend a party programme.
When the train arrived at the station, Hasina’s carriage was attacked using bombs and bullets. Hasina survived the attack.
Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of the railway police station, filed a case naming seven suspects and accusing more than 100 other “unknown” suspects.
But the investigation of the case stalled during the then BNP government. When the Awami League government came to power in 1996, the police were ordered to re-investigate the case.
After the investigation completed, the Criminal Investigation Department filed a chargesheet in the case, accusing 52 people, including leaders and activists of the Ishwardi BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal units. Later, the court indicted the suspects and started the trial.
On Jul 3, 2019, Judge Rostam Ali of the Pabna Additional Sessions Judge's Court delivered the verdict in the case.
He sentenced nine BNP leaders and activists accused in the case to death. In addition, 25 people were sentenced to life in prison and 13 others were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The death row convicts were BNP Central Committee member and former Ishwardi municipal mayor Moklesur Rahman, Pabna District BNP liberation war affairs secretary AKM Aktaruzzaman Akter, Ishwardi Municipality BNP general secretary Zakaria Pintu, Ishwardi Municipality Jubo Dal president Mustafa Noor Alam Shyamal, local BNP leaders Mahbubul Rahman Palash, Rezaul Karim alias Shahin, Shamsul Alam, Azizur Rahman VP Shahin and Shahidul Islam Atal.
Islam Hossain Jewel, Alauddin Biswas, Al Amin, Shimu, Anis Shekhan, Khokon, Nurul Islam, Akkel Ali, Selim Ahmed, Mamunur Rahman, Robi, Mamun, Tuhin, Enam, Kallol, Kala Babu, Liton, Abdullah Al Mamnu Ripon, Laiju, Abdul Jabbar, Abul Kalam, Abdul Hakim Tenu, Alamgir Hossain, Payel and Palash were sentenced to life in prison.
Tuhin bin Siddique, Dulal Sardar, Fazlur Rahman, Abdul Barik, Anwar Hossain Johnny, Rustom, Maula, Jamrul, Raju, Bablu, Barkat, Mukta and Mukul were sentenced to 10 years in prison each.
Whenever a trial court sentences a suspect to death in a criminal case, the High Court has to approve its implementation through a death reference. Accordingly, all the documents, including the verdict of the trial court, reached the Death Reference Branch of the High Court in 2019. The convicted suspects also appealed to the High Court.
After a hearing of the appeals and death references of the accused on Jan 30, all the suspects were acquitted on Wednesday.
Barrister Kayser told reporters, “Despite there being no charges against anyone, nine people were given death sentences, which proves it was a malicious trial. The investigation was false, biased, and arrogant. The verdict was handed down to satisfy personal vendettas and to please certain people.”
Of the 47 people convicted by the trial court, two have since died. Aside from the nine sentenced to death, the rest of the suspects had been released on bail since Aug 5.