Sixteen years on, the trials in five of the six cases filed over a series of bombs blasted by Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Khulna in 2005 have yet to conclude.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Advocate Al Amin of Khulna Metropolitan Joint Sessions Judge Court-2 said three of out of five cases had made significant progress.
“Some 20-25 people have testified in each of the three cases. The rest of the testimonies will be recorded soon. The court has fixed August 31 to record testimonies in one of the cases,” he added.
On August 17, 2005, bomb attacks were carried out at 300 locations in 63 districts of the country. Ten places in Khulna were attacked on the day, leaving several people, including two children, injured.
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Later, the banned militant outfit JMB claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Two cases were filed with Khulna Sadar police station, two with Daulatpur police station, one with Sonadanga police station and another in Botiaghata police station in this connection.
The trial in only the case filed with Botiaghata police station has concluded.
On May 31, 2010, Khulna Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Sekandar Ali gave the verdict in the case, sentencing JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his deputy Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai each to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and another six months’ imprisonment for non-payment of a fine of Tk10,000.
The two had already been executed on March 30, 2007 for killing two Jhalakathi judges.
