2002 Attack on Hasina: SC extends stay on seven convicts’ bail

The Supreme Court yesterday extended till June 20 its chamber judge's order that stayed the High Court bail to seven convicts in a case filed over the attack on the then opposition leader and now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Kolaroa in Satkhira in 2002.

A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order following three petitions filed by the state seeking stay on the bail orders.

The apex court also asked the state to file a leave to appeal petition with this court against the HC orders by June 20.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state while lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for the convicts during the virtual hearing.

Following four petitions filed the state, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on May 27 stayed the HC bail orders till yesterday.

The HC on May 25 granted the seven bail.

The convicts are lawyers Abdus Sattar and Abdus Samad, Golan Rasul,  Rakib, Zahirul, Shahabuddin and Monirul Islam, defence lawyer AM Mahbub  Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star on May 27.

The convicts including lawyers Abdus Sattar and Abdus samad, who have been sentenced to four years' to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment by the trial court in Satkhira, recently filed nine separate petitions with the HC seeking bail, Additional Attorney General SM Munir said earlier.

On August 30, 2002, Hasina visited the house of a freedom fighter, after his wife was allegedly raped, in Hizaldi village of Kolaroa upazila.

While she was returning to Jashore, BNP men kept a bus haphazardly on a road near the office of Kolaroa upazila BNP. As Hasina's motorcade reached the area, they launched an attack on it, according to the case statement.

At least 12 people, including AL leaders and journalists, were injured in the attack.

On September 2 of that year, Kolaroa unit freedom fighters' commander filed the case against 27 named and 70 to 75 unnamed accused. The accused included several BNP leaders and activists in Satkhira.

On February 4 this year, Satkhira's Chief Judicial Magistrate Court convicted and sentenced 50 people in the case. Among them, 34 were sent to jail the same day. The others are absconding.