The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Barguna

Nine militants of the banned Islamic outfit Jama'atul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB) were on Wednesday jailed for life for blasting bombs in this coastal town amid the August 17 serial bombings across the country in 2005.

The convicts are Asadul Islam Arik, Rezaul, Hafez Mostafa Hasan, Hafez Al-Amin, Shahidul Islam, Masum Billah, Bakkar Shahid, Abdul Haq, and Hafez Abdur Rahman.

Three of them - Bakkar Shahid, Abdul Haq and Hafez Abdur Rahman - were tried in absentia.

All the lifers were also fined Tk 5,000 each, in default, to serve six months more in prison.

According to the prosecution, the JMB operatives had conducted serial bombings at seven points in the town on the day of doom, creating panic among the townsmen.

Later, SI Shishir Kumar Pal of Barguna Sadar thana filed a case under the Explosives Act against 12 JMB men, including its chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, his brother Ataur Rahman Sunny and its Second-in-Command Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai. Police submitted charge sheet to the court. After examining records and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Shahjahan Majumdar handed down the punishment to the nine of the militants in a jam-packed courtroom.

The three top-order JMB men-Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Ataur Rahman Sunny and Bangla Bhai-were acquitted of the charge in the case as they all were executed earlier on March 29, 2007 in Jhalakati judges' killing case.