SATKHIRA, 4 February, 2021 (TON): The Satkhira court imprisoned 50 people, including the former BNP lawmaker for varying the terms in the 2002 Sheikh Hasina motorcade attack.

On Thursday, the Satkhira Chief Judicial Magistrate Humayun Kabir announced the verdict in the case.

Among the convicts, 34 were present in court when the judgment was delivered while 16 others were shown absconding.

All the accused are activists and BNP workers, with the former MP and two others facing 10 years in prison.

On Aug 30, 2002, Awami League chief Hasina went to Satkhira Central Hospital to visit a rape victim who was the wife of a freedom fighter and her motorcade was attacked in front of the Kalaroa Upazila BNP office, while she was on her way back to Dhaka. Aside from the bomb attack and vandalism of cars, gunshots were also fired at Hasina.

Central leaders of the Awami League accompanying Hasina along with local leaders, activists and journalists also got injured in the attack.

 Moslem Uddin, the then general secretary of Kolaroa Awami League, sought to file a case with the Kolaroa police station but the law-enforcing agency refused to record it.

He then filed a complaint with the Satkhira Court on 21 September, 2014. The court subsequently ordered the police to start the case.

And on 17 May, 2015, the police submitted a charge sheet against 27 people that included Habibul Islam Habib, then BNP MP. However, the defendants appealed to the High Court after the opening of the trial on 10 July, 2017 after which the proceedings stayed.

This high-profile case was much attended to for many years after the case was filed which may have ended today if the defense prosecution doesn’t rise.