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A Sylhet court on Thursday acquitted nine accused, including three serving lawmakers, and gave death to another accused in a case filed over the attempted murder of late Awami League leader and minister Suranjit Sengupta in 2004.
Sylhet Divisional Speedy Tribunal’s Judge Swapan Kumar Sarker announced the sentences after 22 years of trial proceedings, said Public Prosecutor Abul Hossain.
The acquitted individuals include Lutfuzzaman Babar, current BNP lawmaker at Netrokona-4 and former state minister for home affairs; Ariful Haque Chowdhury, minister of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment and BNP lawmaker from Sylhet-4; GK Gaus, ruling party’s whip and Habiganj-3 lawmaker.
The accused facing death sentence, Hafiz Syed Naim Ahmed Arif alias Nimu, hails from Syedpur area, Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj.
He is accused in a number of other cases involving bomb blasts and militant attacks.
According to reports, Syed Naim had earlier confessed to his crimes before the court. However, following the sentencing, Syed Naim, and his brother, Syed Maruf Ahmed, expressed their disappointment, saying he has been framed, and had no links to the attack on Suranjit Sengupta.
The defendant would file an appeal against the death sentence, Syed Maruf Ahmed said.
On the other hand, the three BNP leaders have expressed their satisfaction at Thursday’s sentencing.
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the names of BNP leaders were not included in the first information report (FIR). However, the fascist Awami League government deliberately included their names in the supplementary charge sheet out of political vengeance.
Lutfuzzaman Babar said he was framed in the attempted murder incident for refusing to give false testimonies against then BNP chairman Khaleda Zia and her son, present prime minister, Tarique Rahman.
He was imprisoned for a long time over false and ill-motivated charges, Babar told reporters on the court premises following the sentencing.
In total, 13 accused were charged in the case. Three had earlier received death sentences in other cases. Among the three, the death sentences in other cases have been executed against militant group JMB’s leader Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi and Bipul.
Among the 123 listed witnesses, 67 have testified at the court.
On 21 June 2004, assailants hurled grenades at a rally of Awami League, then the opposition party and now a banned political group. The rally was held at Derai Bazar, Sunamganj and Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta was delivering a speech as the chief guest during the attack.
One activist of AL’s youth wing, Jubo League, was killed in the grenade attack, and 29 others, including Suranjit Sengupta, were injured. Sengupta later recovered from his wounds.
