All accused including 9 sentenced to death acquitted

The High Court has acquitted all the accused including 9 sentenced to death in the assassination attempt case against Sheikh Hasina, who fled during the student-public uprising.

Justice Muhammad Mahbub ul Islam and Justice Hamidur Rahman announced the verdict on Thursday (February 5).

Barrister Kaiser Kamal appeared for the accused in the court. He was assisted by Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Advocate Maqsud Ullah.

Earlier, the appeal and death reference hearing of the accused convicted in the case concluded on January 30.

The then opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was traveling from Khulna to Syedpur by Rupsha Express train on September 23, 1994. Although there was supposed to be a meeting on the way, the case alleges that BNP leader Zakaria Pintu and other accused in the case, led by him, opened fire and bombed the train in the Ishwardi station area with the intention of killing Sheikh Hasina.

The then officer-in-charge of Ishwardi GRP Police Station, Nazrul Islam, filed a case on the same day as the plaintiff in this incident. Later, the CID started investigating the case. On April 3, 1997, a charge sheet was filed against 52 people in the court. Five of them died and were acquitted from the charge sheet. On July 3, 2019, the court sentenced 9 people, including Zakaria Pintu, to death. Along with this, 25 people were sentenced to life imprisonment and 13 others to 10 years in prison.

Later, the death references of the accused sentenced to death were sent to the High Court. The accused also appealed for acquittal.