3 BNP leaders released from jail in Hasina murder attempt case

Three BNP leaders who were acquitted from the death penalty by High Court recently were released from Pabna jail today (10 February).     

The BNP leaders are former general secretary of Ishwardi Poura BNP Zakaria Pintu, Ishwardi Poura BNP leader Shahidul Islam Atal and Ishwardi Juba Dal leader Mostafa Nure Alam Shyamal.

Recently, the High Court acquitted the BNP leaders, sentenced to death by a trial court, in a case over a bomb attack and shooting on a train carrying Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in Pabna's Ishwardi in 1994.

Local leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations greeted them at the jail gate with flowers. 

The released leaders first marched towards the district BNP office where district leaders welcomed them with flower bouquets where Zakaria Pintu addressed a gathering.

Later, the leaders and activists of BNP led by former member secretary of Ishwardi upazila Swechchhasebak Dal Mehedi Hasan brought out a procession at Ishwardi upazila town and paraded different streets. Ishwardi upazila and poura BNP gave them a mass reception. 

While addressing the reception, Zakaria Pintu alleged that the attempt to murder on Sheikh Hasina was occurred following an internal conflict of local Awami League but the Awami League after coming to the state power implicated 52 leaders and activists of BNP intentionally. 

A court later staged a mock trial under government pressure and awarded punishment to 47 BNP leaders, he added. 

Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of the opposition and Awami League president, came under terrorist attack at Ishwardi Rail Station on 23 September 1994 while she was going to Syedpur from Khulna by a train. 

Nazrul Islam, the then officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police, Ishwardi Thana filed a case in that connection accusing seven persons including Zakaria Pintu. Police later submitted a final report of the case as they failed to probe the allegations. 

After coming to the state power in 1996, the Awami League government ordered to reinvestigate the case and police submitted charge sheet against 52 BNP leaders and activists of Ishwardi Poura and upazila units on 3 April 1997.  

After a long gap, acting Judge of the Special Tribunal-3 Rustom Ali on 3 July 2019, awarded death penalty to nine, life-term imprisonment to 25 and 10 years of rigorous imprisonment 13 others. All the convicted persons are leaders and workers of BNP. 

Meanwhile, on 5 February, a High Court bench comprising Justice Muhammad Mahbub-ul-Islam and Justice Hamidur Rahman acquitted all 47 accused of the case. 

Jahurul Islam, office secretary of Pabna district BNP, told BSS that 30 convicts were on bail before the high court judgment and three people released today.

Rest of the convicts will be released from Rajshai and Dhaka Central Jail tomorrow, he said.