The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal here yesterday sentenced Chittagong divisional chief of banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Javed Iqbal and three other JMB cadres to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) each for bomb attack on a judge in 2005.With this punishment, Javed has so far been awarded 164 years' imprisonment in eight bomb blast and arms cases, according to Public Prosecutor (PP) Qumrul Islam Sajjad. Javed is an accused in 13 more cases, including one for murder, and was acquitted in another bomb blast case, the PP said.
After pronouncement of the verdict by tribunal Judge Md Shafiqul Karim yesterday, Javed told reporters that he has no faith in such trial.
The other convicts are Mizan alias 'Bomb' Mizan, an explosives expert of the outfit, Md Shahadat Ali and Abdul Malek alias Laltu. Of them, Mizan is still at large while the rest three are in jail custody.
According to the prosecution, the four JMB men tried to enter the court of Second Joint District and Assistant Sessions Judge Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain on the first floor of Chittagong Judge's Court Building on October 3, 2005 but were halted by the on-duty constables. Being resisted, the militants threw a bomb at the judge but it missed the target and fell on a table in front of the judge. No one was hurt, as the bomb did not explode.
Police arrested Shahadat on the spot and recovered another bomb from his possession while Javed and Laltu were arrested later. A case was filed with Kotwali Police Station in connection with the bomb attack the following day. Police submitted the charge sheet to the court on November 2, 2005. Directed by the court, police did further investigation into the case and submitted additional charge sheet on May 8, 2006.