A Court of Pabna handed over the death sentence to nine accused, twenty accused got life term imprisonment on charge of firing gun shots and throwing bombs on a train carrying the then Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina at Iswardi railway station on last September 23 of 1994. The same court also awarded thirteen accused ten year rigorous imprisonment for the same charge.
On Wednesday (July3) acting judge of the Additional District and Session judge of Pabna Rustam Ali delivered the judgment.
The convicts who are to go to gallows are Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu, AKM Akhtaruzzaman, Zakaria Pintu, Mostofa Nure Alam Shaymal, Mahbubur Rahman Palash, Shamsul Alam, Mujibur Rahman, Shahidul Islam Atal and Shamsuzzaman.
Public Prosecutor Akhtaruzzaman Mukta told that on September 23 of 1994 when Sheikh Hasina was going to Syedpur from Khulna via Iswardi along with party leaders and workers in a train carriage she was attacked by the BNP leaders and workers at Iswardi railway station. The attackers fired gun shots and threw bombs on her carriage with the motive of killing her.
GRP thana Officer in Charge Nazrul Islam recorded a case in this connection accusing seven persons. In 1996 when Awami League came to power the case was brought for more investigation. After fresh enquiry a new charge sheet was prepared accusing 52 top leaders and workers of Iswradi BNP and Jubo Dal. After one year police submitted final report as they did not get any witness in the case. But the court did not accept the final report and transferred the case to CID for fresh and further investigation. The case number is ST42/97.
It is learnt that on last June 30 of the current year 30 accused surrendered in the court who are leaders of BNP, Jubo dal and Chattra dal of Iswardi. The court without accepting their bail petition sent them to jail. On Tuesday (July 2) two more accused who are former mayor of Iswardi pourashava and president of poura BNP Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu and BNP leader Abdul Hakim Tenu surrendered in the court. Police also arrested another accused on the following night.
It is further learnt that 33 accused are now in jail, 14 are fugitive and five died during last 25 years.