Mufti Hannan among 8 awarded death penalty

Court Correspondent: Eight persons including Harkat-ul-Jihad leader Mufti Abdul Hannan have been awarded death penalty and six others life term imprisonment in the Ramna Batamul bomb blast case.

After 13 years of sardonic waiting, Dhaka Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Ruhul Amin pronounced the verdict on Monday noon.

At least 10 people were killed and many others were injured as bombs exploded at a Pahela Baishakh programme at Ramna Batamul in the capital in 2001.

Those sentenced to death are Mufti Hannan, Maulana Akbar Hossain, Arif Hossain Sumon, Hafiz Maulana Tajuddin, Hafiz Jahangir Alam, Maulana Abdul Hai, Maulana Shafiqur Rahman and Maulana Abu Bakr.

Besides, Shahadatullah Jewel, Maulana Sabbir, Sheikh Farid, Maulana Abdur Rauf, Moulana Yahia, Maulana Abu Taher have been awarded life term imprisonment.

Among them Tajuddin, Jahangir, Abu Bakr, Shafiqur and Abdul Hai are absconding.

 

They were also fined Tk 50,000 each. In case of failing to pay the fine, they will have to serve one more year rigorous imprisonment.

There was a schedule to deliver the verdict on June 16, but the High Court (HC) deferred it to June 23 as the verdict writing was not completed.

The hearing of the case concluded on May 28.

On November 10, 2013, the accused gave their self-defensive deposition before the Court under section-342 of the procedure and they demanded themselves as innocent. 

On October 23, 2013, the state concluded taking deposition. They took a total of 61 witnesses’ deposition, among 84.

CID Inspector Abu Hena Md Yusuf submitted supplementary chargesheet of the case on November 29, 2008 accusing 14 men including Harkat-ul-Jihad leader Mufti Abdul Hannan.   

On April 14, 2001, (1st Baishak, 1408) 10 people died and many others were injured after explosion hit the crowded audience of a Pahela Baishakh programme at Ramna Batamul in the capital.

Sergeant Amal Chandra of Babupura Police Station filed a case with Ramna police station in this connection on that day.

risingbd/June 16, 2014/Correspondent/ Aminul/Mukul