A Satkhira court on Thursday has sentenced 50 people, including a former BNP lawmaker, to different terms of imprisonment over the 2002 attack on Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina's convoy in Kalaroa.
Satkhira Chief Judicial Magistrate Humayun Kabir delivered the verdict with 34 accused out of 50 present in the dock.
Former BNP MP Habibul Islam Habib and two others -- Arif Hossain and Manirul Islam -- were jailed for 10 years. The 47 others were given different jail terms.
On January 27, the court had fixed February 4 for delivering its judgment in the case after closing the law-point arguments of the case.
The court also sent the 34 accused, including former MP Habib, to jail after rejecting their bail petitions on that day.
Additional Attorney General SM Munur, who was present on behalf of the state, expressed satisfaction over the verdict. Besides, advocate Abdul Majid, a defence lawyer, said they will file an appeal petition against the verdict.
Also read - Supreme Court clears way to continue Sheikh Hasina’s convoy attack case proceedings
The accused also include Kalaroa’s former mayor Akhtarul Islam, Satkhira Bar Association’s former general secretary advocate Abdus Sattar, advocate of Supreme Court Abdus Samad, three former UP chairmen Ashraf Hossain, Rakibul Islam and Rabiul Islam and other activists of BNP.
Tiger Khokon, one of the 50 accused, is serving jail term in another case. Sixteen others accused of the case, including former councillor Abdul Kader Bacchu, are absconding.
On August 30, 2002, Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader, was returning to Magura after visiting a freedom fighter's wife in Satkhira when her convoy came under attack in Kalaroa upazila of the district.
Hasina survived the attack relatively unscathed but many Awami League leaders and workers were injured along with some journalists.
Kalaroa Mohammad Moslem Uddin, freedom fighter, filed a case against 27 men for the attack which was later dismissed for not being recorded at the police station.
The case was reopened on October 15, 2014 and police pressed charges in court against 50 accused in this connection.
On May 17, 2015, inspector Sheikh Shafiqur Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted charge sheet against 50 people in the case.