Attack on Hasina’s Train: Court to deliver verdict on Wednesday

A Pabna court has fixed July 3 (Wednesday) for delivering its verdict in a case filed on charge of carrying out an attack on Sheikh Hasina in Pabna 25 years ago.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rustom Ali fixed the date today after hearing the argument both from the state and defence counsels, said Akhtaruzzaman Mukta, public prosecutor of the case, told our Pabna correspondent.

Yesterday, 30 leaders and activists of BNP-led alliance landed in jail yesterday after the court rejected their bail pleas.

In 1994, then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was travelling from Khulna to Rajshahi via train and holding rallies at different railway stations. As her train reached Pakshey Railway Station in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila, it was attacked with crude bombs and gunshots.

Nazrul Islam, then officer-in-charge of Ishwardi Police Station, filed a case accusing 52 persons of BNP and its ally parties. Police pressed charge sheet against the accused on April 4, 1997 but all of them secured bail from court.

Thirty of the 52 accused were present before the court and sought bail yesterday. Rejecting their bail plea, the court sent them to jail. It also issued arrest warrants against the rest of the accused.