Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina Attack on Sheikh Hasina's convoy: One accused's plea rejected
Dhaka, Nov 24, 2020: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has rejected the plea of accused Rakibur Rahman in a case related to the 2002 attack on the convoy of the then Leader of the Opposition and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Satkhira. As a result, there is no obstacle to continue the case, the lawyers said.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Tuesday (November 24).
Sheikh Hasina visited Kalaroa in Satkhira on August 30, 2002 to see the wife of a raped freedom fighter. On his way back to Dhaka by road, his convoy was attacked in front of the Upazila BNP office. Shots were fired at Sheikh Hasina. Bomb blasts and car vandalism also took place on that day.
Local leaders, activists and journalists, including some central Awami League leaders accompanying Sheikh Hasina, were injured that day. Moslem Uddin, the then general secretary of Kalaroa Upazila Awami League, was turned away when he went to file a case with Kalaroa Police Station. A decade later, on September 21, 2014, Moslem Uddin, commander of the Kalaroa Upazila Muktijoddha Command Council, filed a complaint in the Satkhira court. The court directed the concerned police station to treat the complaint as a statement.
Following the investigation, on May 17, 2015, the police filed a chargesheet against 27 people, including the then BNP MP Habibul Islam Habib. Rakib alias Rakibur Rahman, one of the accused in the attempted murder case, was 10 years old at the time of the incident. It is said that he was 10 years old at the time of the incident. On that application, on 23 August 2016, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case. The High Court also issued a stay order.
The case was then adjourned. After learning about the matter, the newly appointed Additional Attorney General SM Munir recently took the initiative to hold a rule hearing related to this. The hearing on that rule started on Thursday, September 24. After hearing the rule on October 8, the High Court gave its verdict on October 8.
