Bangladesh / 14 militants sentenced to death in Sheikh Hasina murder conspiracy case

Dhaka: A Bangladesh court on Tuesday sentenced 14 Islamic terrorists to death for trying to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2000. Judge Abu Zafar Mohammad Qamaruzzaman of the Rapid Hearing Tribunal-I of Dhaka said, "The firing squad will apply this decision to set precedent, unless it is banned by law." Nine of them were brought from jail to court during the trial.

Chance of appeal against conviction

Judge Kamaruzzamman said that otherwise the convicts can be hanged as per the current practice on getting the approval of the High Court section of the Supreme Court after compulsory review of the death penalty under Bangladesh law. According to the law of Bangladesh, it is necessary to get the High Court seal after the death penalty is heard automatically. The accused have also been allowed to file an appeal. The judge said that the verdict should be implemented after arrest or surrender of absconding convicts. The five convicts are absconding.

All terrorists are members of Harkat-ul-Jihad Bangladesh

All the guilty are members of the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad Bangladesh (Huji-B). Harkat-ul-Jihad Bangladesh chief Mufti Abdul Hannan was also indicted in the case but his name was dropped in the case after he was hanged in another 2017 case. Hanan was found to be the main facilitator of the plot to attempt the assassination of Sheikh Hasina. The second case relates to the attempted murder of the then British High Commissioner of Bangladeshi origin in 2017.