Seven militants sentenced to death for killing Bangladesh judges

South Asia News

Seven militants sentenced to death for killing Bangladesh judges

Dhaka, May 29 (DPA) A criminal court in southern Bangladesh Monday sentenced seven militants to death for their role in a suicide bomb attack on two judges more than six months ago, judicial officials said.

District Judge Reza Tarik Ahmad awarded death sentences in Barisal court amid tight security after a speedy trial, which heard 45 witnesses.

The convicted militants include founder of the banned Jamiatul Mujahideen group Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his first deputy Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.

The outlawed outfit attracted international media attention after it launched bomb attacks on locations across the country in August 2005.

Chief of the outfit's military wing Ataur Rahman Sunny and top policy planner Khaled Shafiullah were also sentenced to death by hanging, the officials said.

The militants' team was held responsible for the attack by suicide bombers on assistant judges Jagannath Pandey and Sohel Ahmad as they boarded a minibus on their way to their offices Nov 14, 2005 at Purba Chadkati in Jhalakathi, a town on the outskirts of Barisal, 230 km south of Dhaka.

The court acquitted one of the eight accused by police.

The suicide attackers in their campaign to establish Islamic law in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh target courts, judges and other judicial institutions.

The Barisal Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced the same team to 40 years of imprisonment Feb 20 for carrying unlicensed firearms under sections of the explosive act in another case connected with the judges' killing.

Bangladesh Observer newspaper said that when the court announced the closure of the case, pending verdict, Thursday, the accused sang their party song in a chorus.

'JMB shall overcome,...' chanted JMB chief Abdur Rahman and his colleague Bangla Bhai as they were whisked into the prison van from the court on that day.

Shaikh and the Bangla Bhai spoke in the court on behalf of the dock, justifying their mission.

Shaikh Rahman requested the court not to hurriedly deliver the judgement. He demanded their trial by a jury board formed with Islamic thinkers.

Bangla Bhai said a man like him was created owing to 'corruption and waywardness of police' and demanded that the court should not discriminate in delivering the judgement.

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Seven militants sentenced to death for killing Bangladesh judges