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May 29, 2006

Bangladesh: Islamist Leaders Are Sentenced To Death

Today, Bangladesh saw the leaders of two of its most influential and dangerous terrorist groups sentenced to death. We wrote on May 14 of the bizarre behaviour of Bangla Bhai and Abdur Rahman which has previously taken place at the Jalakathi Additional District and Sessions Court.

Bangla Bhai (left in picture) is head of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh or JMJB (Vigilant Muslim Citizens, Bangladesh) and he is also a leading member of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Today he was given a death sentence. The leader of JMB is Abdur Rahman (right of Bangla Bhai in picture). He too was given a death sentence today.

The pair were on trial along with other lead members of JMB, from its decision making council, or Majlish-e-Shura, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal and Khaled Saifullah alias Amjad. In addition, two others were on trial, Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun and Asadur Rahman Arif. They had been charged with the murder of two judges in Jhalakathi on November 14 last year.

A small minibus was taking judges to work when it stopped to pick up another judge, a young man (Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun) had come forward and thrown a bomb at the minibus. Senior Assistant Judge of Nalchhiti Upazila Sohel Ahmed (32) was killed instantly. Senior Assistant Judge of Jhalakathi, Sadar Upazila, Jagannath Pandey (35) died on the journey to hospital. The blast tore off the roof of the microbus, and the bomber, Mamun, was injured.

Mamun had an accomplice who ran off. When taken in an ambulance under police guard, Mamun tried to detonate a bomb attached to his leg. This was the first time that there had been an attempted suicide bombing in Bangladesh, but a fortnight afterwards there were deadly suicide attacks by JMB at Chittagong and Gazipur courthouses on November 29. More followed, with another attack on Gazipur court on December 1, an attack at an arts center in Netrakona on December 8.

Following these attacks, there was a concerted manhunt for the leaders of JMB. On February 9, Abdul Awul, Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun and Sunny Ataur Rahman had been sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment for another charge connected with the explosives used in the November 14 murder of the two judges. Mamun was charged under section three of Explosive Substances Act and given a 30 year sentence and another 10 years in prison under section four of the act. Awul and Sunny Ataur Rahman had been sentenced to 40 years for aiding and abetting the bombing.

On February 20, Bangla Bhai and Abdur Rahman, as well as Amjad Hossain and Mullah Omar had also been given 40 year sentences for their part in the November 14 killings of the judges. The four were tried in absentia, as they were all on the run. On March 13 Mullah Omar, aka Shakil, blew up himself, his wife and two small children in Comilla, rather than be arrested.

At the court case on February 20, Sultan Hossain Khan had been acquitted of renting out a house for the JMB bombers who attacked the judge.

In the current trial which ended today, all seven individuals were charged with murder under section 342 of Bangladesh's penal code. Only Asadur Rahman Arif was not in court, as he is still on the run.

Today, the news from the Daily Star, New Kerala, the Hindu, the BBC and the Washington Post relate that all seven accused, including the three who were earlier given 40-year sentences, were all handed out the death penalty. Arif's sentence was handed out in absentia.

Judge Reza Tarik Ahmed said in his verdict today: "They will be hanged until death....I pronounce this highest penalty as involvement of the accused has been proved beyond doubt."

In response, Abdur Rahman, the leader of the JMB shura said: "The government had engaged us to invite the ulema community for establishing Islamic laws. But now it punished us under worldly laws. What is the punishment this government deserves?"

While Bangla Bhai began singing militant anthems, Abdur Rahman continued: "Although we asked the government for holding our trial by an Islamic jury board, it did not pay any heed. Our trial has been conducted hastily by a Taguti court. Why the government is hurrying and why it is afraid?"

Singing the JMB "theme song" and laughing and joking had been an activity of all the men immediately before their arrival in court for sentencing, states the New Nation, citing prison sources.

After the verdict, the wife of Judge Jagannath Pandey, who was killed on November 14, said "The killers must be hanged in public to show that no murderer is above law. We'll never be able to overcome the loss. We'll get at least some consolation if the judgement is executed as early as possible."

Pallabi Jyoti Pandey also said that those who sponsored JMB should also be brought to trial.

The wife of the other murdered judge, Sohel Ahmed, said: "I appeal to the government to prevent recurrence of Jhalakathi tragedy anywhere in the country."

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at May 29, 2006 11:34 PM

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