Sheikh Hasina’s convoy attack: 50 accused including BNP leader Habib sentenced

BanglaPress Desk
February 4, 2021

Banglapress Desk: A Satkhira court on Thursday sentenced former BNP MP Habibul Islam Habib and two others to 10 years of imprisonment in a case filed over the 2002 attack on Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina’s convoy in Kalaroa.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Humayun Kabir delivered the verdict while 34 accused out of 50 were present in the dock.
The court also sentenced 47 others to different jail terms in the case.On January 27, the court fixed February 4 for delivering its judgment in the case.
The accused also include Kalaroa’s former mayor Akhtarul Islam, Satkhira Bar Association’s former general secretary advocate Abdus Sattar, advocate of Supreme Court Abdus Samad, three former UP chairmen Ashraf Hossain, Rakibul Islam and Rabiul Islam and other activists of BNP.
Also read – Supreme Court clears way to continue Sheikh Hasina’s convoy attack case proceedings
Tiger Khokon, one of the 50 accused, is serving jail time in another case. Sixteen others accused of the case, including former councilor Abdul Kader Bacchu, are absconding.
On Aug 30, 2002, Prime Minister Hasina, the then opposition chief, was returning to Magura after visiting a freedom fighter’s wife in Satkhira when her convoy got attacked in Kalaroa upazila of the district.
Hasina survived the attack relatively unscathed but many Awami League leaders and workers were injured along with some journalists.
Kalaroa Freedom Fighter Mohammad Moslem Uddin filed a case against 27 men for the attack which was later dismissed due to not being recorded at the police station.
The case was reopened on October 15, 2014 and police pressed charges in court against 50 accused in this connection.

BP/SM