Ex-JMB chief to serve 7 years in prison

Ex-JMB chief Maulana Saidur Rahman, Abdullah Hel Kafi, and his wife Ayesha Akhter have been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by Dhaka Special Court 6 under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Judge KM Imrul Kayes gave the verdict on Thursday afternoon. The trio was arrested on May 25, 2010, from Dhaka's Donia Nur Mosque area under Kadamtali police, for their involvement in planning subversive activities across the country. According to the prosecution, police had discovered a huge cache of bomb-making materials, firearms and ammunition and jihadi books from Saidur's and Abdullah's home adjacent to Nur Mosque on May 25, 2010. Abdullah Hel Kafi, and his wife Ayesha Akhter jumped bail as soon as it was granted by the High Court. The court also fined the convicts Tk50,000 each and failure to pay the amount would also result in an extra year of imprisonment. The trio was also sentenced to six months of imprisonment under Section 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

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Five prosecution witnesses gave their depositions in the case at the Special Court, after the trial began on January 16, 2011. A total of 18 prosecution witnesses out of 21 gave testimonies before the court during the trial proceedings in the case. A case under the Anti-Terrorism Act was filed against Saidur and the couple with Kadamtoli Police Station. After an investigation into the case, police submitted a charge sheet against the trio on October 23 in 2010. The trial that began on January 16, 2011 was suspended in September 2015 after media reports that the Home Ministry had not approved the case as required for section 40 (2) of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The case finally began to see proceedings after the ministry’s approval on August 26, 2016. Detectives pressed the fresh charges against the trio on January 4 and a Dhaka court took cognisance of the charges on the same day. The court framed the charges against them on February 14 this year and the formal trial began on March 24.