The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Chittagong

Four Islami Chhatra Shibir activists were Yesterday sentenced to death and three to life-term imprisonment in the sensational Bohaddarhat eight-murder case in the port city.

The condemned convicts are M Azam, Sazzad Khan, Alamgir Kabir alias Baitta Kabir and M Solaiman. They were also fined Tk 50,000 each. The lifers are Enamul Haque, Abdul Qaiyum and Habib Khan. They are also to pay Tk 50,000 each in fines or serve one year more in jail. After examining 42 witnesses in the case of deadly gun attack on Chhatra League activists, the court of 2nd Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Ekramul Haq pronounced the verdict today, acquitting 13 other leaders and activists of the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

The acquitted ones are Mesbaul Kabir, the then President of Shibir city unit, Secretary Saiful Islam, Vice-President Azizur Rahman, Organising Secretary Miah M Toufiq, M Ilias, Abdul Hakim, Abdul Hamid, Bazle Ahmed, Bayezedur Rahman, BDR Selim, joint Secretary Rezaur Rahman Mufti, Iqbal Hossain and Nesar Ahmed. Only three of them-Ilias, M Azam and Alamgir Kabir-were in the dock during the verdict.

According to the prosecution, gunmen halted a microbus and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw carrying Bangladesh Chhatra League activists at Bohaddarhat crossing and opened fire on them on July 12, 2000. The shooting left all the eight in the two vehicles dead on the spot. Six of them were activists of the BCL, the student wing of Awami League, while two others drivers of the vehicles. The deceased were Jahangir Alam, Hasibur Rahman Helal, Rafiqul Islam Sohel, Azizul Islam, Abul Kashem, Jahangir Hossain and CNG and microbus drivers Zahid and Monu Miah.

BCL leader Anwar Hossain, who is now serving 10 years in jail in an arms case, had filed a case in this connection.

Five of the accused persons were arrested soon after the killing, but later Enamul and Solaiman were released on bail and went into hiding.

ASP of Chandgaon thana Kader Khan submitted charge sheet against a total of 22 persons. Of the charge-sheeted accused, one was killed in crossfire while another in a clash.

After hearing the verdict, M Azam and Alamgir expressed their dissatisfaction and said that they would go to the High Court "for justice".