| Bangladesh |
| Two JMB men handed death sentences |
| 2010-01-29 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A court here yesterday handed down death sentence to two JMB leaders for killing Rajshahi University teacher Muhammad Yunus five years ago. Of the two, Shahidullah alias Mahbub is married to a niece of Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, now-executed JMB military commander. The other one, Shafiullah alias Tarek, is commander of Rajshahi district Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, the banned Islamist outfit. Besides sentencing them to death, Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal fined them each Tk 5,000. It however acquitted six other JMB men of the murder. They are Abu Isa alias Enamul Haque, Golamur Rahman alias Golam Mostafa, Abul Kashem alias Tufan, Abdul Matin alias Bomaru Matin, Abdur Rahman alias Arif and Zakir alias Jayed. Except Zakir, who has been on the run, all accused were produced before the court. Yunus, an economics professor at RU, was knifed to death while on a morning walk near the campus on December 24, 2004. The courtroom was chock-a-block when Judge Md Manjurul Bachhid began pronouncing the verdict at 2:45pm. The judgment is based on judicial confessions, as there were no eye-witnesses, said the judge adding that Mahbub and Tarek can go to the High Court to appeal against their convictions in 30 days. Rehana Yunus, wife of Yunus, told The Daily Star that she was not quite satisfied as some of the "killers have got off scot-free". Her daughter Sara Sudipa said, "I can't get my father back, but the verdict will somewhat console our hearts, though partially." Abdul Halim, Yunus's brother and complainant of the murder case, died 42 days after his brother's death. In the charge sheet, CID Inspector Helaluddin said 10 militants took part in the murder operation. Of them, Ibrahim was killed in 2005. JMB supremo Shaikh Abdur Rahman, who was executed along with five other JMB leaders in March 2007, had ordered Mahbub to kill Yunus. Mahbub picked the 10 to carry out the order. The Criminal Investigation Department did not press charges against 13 Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders and workers who were earlier suspected by police of being involved in the murder. Those dropped from the charge sheet included Sirajus Salehin, former president of Binodpur unit Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Our RU correspondent adds: Teachers, students and different organisations at RU yesterday hailed the verdict. RU Vice-chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan described the verdict as a milestone in efforts to establish the rule of law. Bangladesh Chhatra League, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, JSD Chhatra League, Chhatra Union, Chhatra Moitree, Muktijoddhar Santan Command and Kendrio Sangskritik Jote demanded immediate execution of the convicts. |
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| Bangladesh |
| 11 JMB men get life for sedition |
| 2008-04-18 |
| A Rajshahi divisional court yesterday awarded life terms to all 11 militants of Jama'aul Mujahidin, Bangladesh (JMB) in a sedition case filed for taking combat training to fight against the state in 2005. Judge M Sajedul Karim of the first court of Rajshahi divisional special judge also fined the accused Tk 20,000 each, in default of which they are to spend two more years in jail. The convicts include Enamul Haque and Golamur Rahman alias Golam Mostafa, both regional JMB commanders and followers of executed militant leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai and arrested militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib respectively. The others sentenced are Rajshahi University Arabic student Ibrahim Hossain, madrassah teacher Jaharul Islam, madrassah students Merajul Islam, Shah Wali Ullah, Zakir Hossain, Mansur Rahman, Biplob Hossain, Abu Zafar and Mozammel Hossain. They were arrested from Mozammel's house at Puthiapara in Paba upazila on July 18, 2005 while they undergoing combat training. Police recovered diaries and notes from them including details on 'restricted military training on arms, ammunition and detonators', guerrilla warfare and revolutionary Islamic slogans and songs for Jihad. The training included making simple and sophisticated bombs including time bombs and remote control bombs, operating rifles, etc. Local and foreign personnel provided the trainings, according to the prosecution. After investigation, sub-inspector Zahidul Islam, the then officer-in-charge of Paba police station, lodged a sedition case with a magistrate court on September 4, 2005 and pressed charges against them on February 6, 2006. Delivering the judgement the court said, prosecution allegations that the militants were engaged in anti-state activities and that they had been receiving 'exclusive combat training on arms, ammunition and detonators' with ulterior motives against the state was proved without any doubt. The court examined a total of eight prosecution witnesses in the case and evidence recovered from possessions of the accused. One of the sentenced militants, Mozammel, hurled abuses at the police and journalists after the sentence was read out. |
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