A Chattogram court has sentenced five activists of banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death in a case filed over the bomb attacks at two Jam-e-Mosques inside the Isha Khan Naval Base at Patenga during the Jumma prayers on December 18 in 2015.
The death penalty awarded are former Navy member M Sakhawat Hossain, ballkeeper Abdul Mannan, Ramzan Ali, Babul Rahman alias Roni and Abdul Mannan's elder brother JMB member Abdul Ghaffar.
Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Chattogram Judge Mohammad Abdul Halim delivered the verdict in presence of four convicted persons except Sakhawat Hossain on Wednesday, reports BSS.
According to the prosecution story, in brief, the bomb exploded in the two Jam-e-Mosques inside the Isha Khan Naval base at Patenga within 10 minutes during the Jumma prayers on December 18, 2015. Along with the Navy members, locals also offered prayers in the mosques on Friday. A total of 24 military-civilian people were injured in the blasts.
On September 3, 2016, nine months after the explosion, Naval Provost Marshal Commander M Abu Sayed filed two separate cases under the Anti-Terrorism and Explosives Act in the city's EPZ Police Station over the blasts.
The accused in the case are former Navy member M Sakhawat Hossain, ball keeper Abdul Mannan, Ramzan Ali and Babul Rahman alias Roni and JMP chief coordinator of Chattogram region Raisul Islam Khan Noman alias Nafis alias Fardin.
Fardeen was killed in an explosion while making grenades at Sherpur in Bogra on April 3, 2016. Due to this, his name was excluded from the charge-sheet of the case.
Inspector Mohammad Osman Gani of the EPZ Police Station submitted the charge-sheet before the court accusing five JMB men including Abdul Ghaffer On October 15, 2017.
The accused were also fined Taka 50 thousand each.
In the case, the court framed charges against the militants on January 28 in 2020.
After examining 17 prosecution witnesses, out of 24, the court pronounced the verdict today in presence of four convicts.