Six Islamic militants were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Bangladesh's eastern Feni district Monday for series bombings on Aug. 17 last year, which killed three people and wounding hundreds. The court also fined them 5,000 taka (about 71 U.S. dollars) each. The six militants belong to Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which was blamed for a series of bombings in 63 out of 64 districts of Bangladesh on Aug. 17 last year and suicide bomb attacks that killed 28 people and wounded several others. The JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his second-in-command Bangla Bhai were arrested on March 1 and March 6 this year by the security forces. The JMB chief launched the campaign to establish Islamic rule in this Muslim majority country about four years ago. Rahman, Bangla Bhai and other top leaders of JMB were sentenced to death by a court in southern Jhalokati district for killing two judges through suicide bomb attacks. If the death sentences are confirmed by higher courts, the JMB leaders will be executed.
The four-party alliance government is trying to quicken the confirmation of the death sentences by higher courts to earn a credit ahead of the national elections due in January next year. The government will hand over power to caretaker government in October this year, so the government is trying to execute the JMB leaders before ending its term.