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DHAKA, Feb 5, 2025 (BSS) - Terming the trial court verdict in the case lodged over attempt to assassinate Sheikh Hasina in Pabna's Ishwardi three decades ago as inhumane, the High Court said it does not know in what scale that verdict can be measured.

In its observation in the verdict given in Bengali on the occasion of Language Month, acquitting all the convicted accused, including 9 people sentenced to death and 25 people sentenced to life imprisonment, the High Court today said the verdict of the trial court did not reflect any judicial thinking.

Basically, this case is a hateful one where simple issue was showed as a bigger one.

"And the learned judge gave this verdict by showing blind obedience to the authority. The learned judge gave this verdict by floating his pen in the black water. We do not know in what scale the inhuman verdict can be measured," reads the observation.

After hearing the appeal and death reference (application for approval of death sentence) of the convicted accused against the verdict of the trial court, a High Court division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam and Justice Md. Hamidur Rahman gave the verdict today.

The High Court has ordered the immediate release of those acquitted in today's verdict.

The High Court has acquitted those sentenced to death by the trial court: AKM Akhteruzzaman, Md. Zakaria Pintu, Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu, Rezaul Karim Shahin, Shahidul Islam Atal, Azizur Rahman Faring, Shyamal, Mahabubur Rahman Palash and Shamsul Alam.

The 25 people who were sentenced to life imprisonment and were acquitted by the High Court are BNP leader Aminul Islam, Azad Hossain alias Khokon, Ismail Hossain alias Jewel, Alauddin Biswas, Shamsur Rahman, Anisur Rahman, Akkel Ali, Mohammad Robi, Mohammad Enam, Abul Kashem, Kala Babu, Md. Mamun, Mamun-2, Selim Hossain, Md. Kallol, Tuhin, Shah Alam alias Liton, Abdullah Al Mamun, Laiju, Abdul Jabbar, Palash, Abdul Hakim, Alamgir Hossain, AKM Firozul Islam alias Payel and Abul Kalam.

Those who were acquitted by the High Court after serving 10 years in prison are BNP leader and former chairman of Shahapur Union in Ishwardi Upazila Nefaur Rahman Raju, Ajmal Hossain, former Chhatra Dal leader and Ishwardi Municipality councilor Anwar Hossain, former Chhatra Dal leaders Md. Rono, Md. Barkat, Chand Ali, Enamul Kabir, Md. Moktar, Hafizur Rahman Mukul, Humayun Kabir alias Dulal, Jamrul, Tuhin Bin Siddique and Fazlur Rahman.

Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Mojibur Rahman took part in the hearing of the case for the state in the HC.

Barristers Kaiser Kamal, Kamruzzaman Mamun, Jamil Akhter Elahi took part in hearing of the case for the accused. Lawyer Maqsud Ullah was with him.

The statement of the case states that on September 23, 1994, Sheikh Hasina was going to a party programme in Syedpur by train from Khulna via Ishwardi. It is alleged that the miscreants opened fire on the train and Sheikh Hasina's compartment as the train carrying her entered Ishwardi station.
 
Later, the then Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ishwardi Railway (GRP) Police Station filed a case against seven people, including Chhatra Dal leader and current Ishwardi Municipality BNP General Secretary Zakaria Pintu.
 
Later, the court handed over the case to the CID for further investigation, and the CID filed a charge sheet against 52 people.
 
In this, local BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were newly named as accused.

On July 3, 2019, Pabna Additional District and Sessions Judge Rostam Ali ordered the death penalty for 9 people in this case.

In addition, 25 people were sentenced to life imprisonment and 13 to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Along with this, the life convicts were fined Tk 3 lakh and the 10-year convicts were fined Tk 1 lakh each.

After the verdict of the trial court, the death reference of the death-row convicts came to the High Court.

On the other hand, the accused appealed. The High Court gave the verdict today after hearing the death reference and the appeal.