1994 attack on train carrying Hasina: HC acquits all accused

Published : Wednesday, 5 February, 2025 at 12:40 PM Count : 159

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The High Court today acquitted all the 47 accused, including nine people who were sentenced to death, from the case filed over the attack on a train carrying the then opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina, in Ishwardi 30 years ago.

The HC also scrapped the trial court judgement, which sentenced nine people to death, life imprisonment to 25, and 10 years' jail sentence to 13 accused in the case.

The High Court also asked the jail authorities to immediately release the accused, who are in the prison.

Advocate Maksud Ullah, a defence lawyer told that the HC bench of Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam and Justice Md Hamidur Rahman delivered the verdict after holding hearing on the death reference (trial court documents for confirmation of death sentence) and appeals filed by the convicted accused against the lower court judgement in the case.

He said the HC acquitted the accused from the case as the allegations brought against them were not proved.

There was no eyewitness in the case, he said, adding that those who have made statements as witnesses before the magistrate concerned were the people from a particular political party-Awami League.

Sheikh Hasina later ran the country for 15 years as the prime minister and was forced to resign and flee on August 5 last year following a mass uprising.

On September 23,1994, the former premier was travelling from Khulna to Niphamari's Saidpur by train and addressed several rallies at different railway stations on the way.

According to the case statement, as the train reached Paksey station in Ishwardi, it came under attack. Crude bombs were hurled and shots were fired. The attack continued until the train reached Ishwardi station. Many were injured while the Awami League president was unhurt.

Following the attack, Nazrul Islam, the then officer-in-charge of Ishwardi General Railway Police Station, filed a case against five members of the BNP and its associate bodies.

On July 3, 2019, a Pabna court pronounced the verdict of the case filed under the Explosives Substances Act, 1908.

The nine who got the death penalty are: AKM Akteruzzaman, former president of Ishwardi municipality unit BNP; Zakaria Pintu, general secretary of the BNP unit; Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu, ex-general secretary of the BNP unit and ex-mayor of Ishwardi municipality; Rezaul Karim Shahin, ex-leader of Ishwardi Government College Chhatra Dal unit; Azizur Rahman Shahin, convener of Ishwardi upazila Jubo Dal; and local BNP activists Shahidul Islam Atal, Shyamol, Mahabubur Rahman Polash and Shamsul Alam. They were also fined Tk 5 lakh each.

Later, the convicts filed separate appeals with the HC challenging the trial court judgement on them.

FP/MI