The Dhaka Times Desk The court sentenced 9 people to death, 26 to life and 12 to 10 years in connection with the firing and attack on Sheikh Hasina's train convoy at Ishwardi in Pabna.
Today (July 3) Additional District Sessions Judge Court of Pabna gave this verdict. After presenting the argument of the case, on July 1, the court fixed Wednesday (July 3) as the day to announce the verdict.
In the presence of 30 BNP leaders and activists, lawyers from both sides presented their respective arguments. Judge Rustom Ali fixed the date of verdict after hearing the statements of both parties.
The main accused in this case, Zakaria Pintu, General Secretary of Ishwardi Municipal BNP, and one of the accused, former president of Ishwardi Municipal BNP and former mayor of Ishwardi Municipality, Makleshur Rahman Bablu, were present in the court today. BNP leader Humayun Kabir Dulal was not present in the court and the court issued an arrest warrant against him.
According to court sources, on September 23, 1994, Awami League president left Khulna for Rajshahi on an organizational tour and held road meetings at various places. He had a scheduled road meeting at Ishwardi railway station. Soon after the train carrying him reached Pakshi station, the train was fired upon and bombed.
In this incident, the then Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ishwardi GRP Police Station, Nazrul Islam, filed a case as the plaintiff on the day of the incident. Exactly 3 years later, on April 3, 1997, the police filed a charge sheet in the name of 52 people in this case.
Among them, 30 accused appeared in the court last Sunday and when they applied for bail, the court refused and ordered to send them to jail. 6 accused in the case have already died. The court has issued arrest warrants against the rest.
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