SC upholds death penalty for Mufti Hannan, 2 others

The Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty handed down to three militants of Harkat-ul Jihad Al-Islami (Huji), including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan in a case filed over the grenade attack on ex-British envoy to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004. A four-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order on Wednesday morning. The court rejected the appeal filed by Mufti Hannan and Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul seeking a review of the High Court order, reports UNB. Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed said the condemned convicts can file a review petition within 30 days after getting the copy of the verdict. Three people, including an assistant sub-inspector of the police, were killed while former UK high commissioner Anwar and 70 others were injured in a grenade attack at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal in Sylhet on May 21, 2004. Born in Sunamganj and a naturalised British citizen, Anwar served as the British high commissioner to Bangladesh from 2004 to 2008. He is currently serving as the ambassador to Peru. Three militants of the banned group – Mufti Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Md Delwar Hossain alias Ripon – were sentenced to death while two others – Hannan’s brother Muhibullah alias Muhibur Rahman alias Ovi and Mufti Mainuddin Khaja alias Abu Jandal – were given life sentences by the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal on December 23, 2008. The High Court upheld the verdict in February this year. Hannan and Bipul then appealed against the sentences in July. Mufti Hannan and seven others were sentenced to death in 2014 for killing 10 people during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul in 2001. He is also a prime accused in the August 21 grenade attack case.