Death sentence for 10 over attempt to kill B'desh PM Hasina

Ten persons were awarded death penalty by a Dhaka court in a case filed over the attempted murder of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 17 years ago.

Dhaka's Second Speedy Trial Tribunal also sentenced one person to life term imprisonment and nine others to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The death row convicts included Wasim Akhter, Md Yousuf, Md Rashed Driver, Sheikh Forid, Hafez Tarequl Alam Bodor, Maulana Abu Bakkar, Mufti Shofiqur Rahman, Maulana Yahya, Mufti Abdul Hye and Mannan Abdul Rouf, reports the Dhaka Tribune.

The 10 death row convicts will be executed either by hanging or by firing squad.

The Dhaka police had seized 76kg of explosives at the Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College under in Gopalganj, on 20 July 2000.

The explosives were planted to kill Hasina who was then on her first term as the Prime Minister.

The police had filed a case against 16 people under the Explosive Substances Act on Aril 8, 2001.

The prime accused in this case Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh chief Mufti Abdul Hannan was hanged on April 12, 2017 at Kashimpur High-Security Prison in addition to others chargers of killing three people and injuring former British high commissioner in Bangladesh.