Dhaka, June 17 (V7N)- The High Court has delivered its full verdict, sentencing seven accused to life imprisonment and fines in connection with the brutal Holy Artisan Bakery attack in Gulshan nearly nine years ago.
The comprehensive 229-page verdict was published on the Supreme Court’s website on Tuesday. The ruling was given on October 10, 2023, by a High Court bench comprising Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman.
The seven convicts sentenced to life imprisonment are:
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Rakibul Hasan alias Rigyan
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Md. Jahangir Hossain alias Rajib Gandhi
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Aslam Hossain
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Hadisur Rahman
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Abdus Sabur Khan alias Sohel Mahfuz
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Mamunur Rashid alias Ripon
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Shariful Islam Khaled
Verdict Details
These seven accused were initially sentenced to death by the trial court verdict handed down six years ago. The High Court reviewed the death reference (approval of the death sentence), along with the appeals and jail appeals filed by the accused, before delivering its decision.
In the verdict, the High Court invoked Section 6(2)(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment. The court noted the extreme brutality of the massacre, the cruel behavior of the terrorists, and the damage to Bangladesh’s international image caused by the attack. However, the bench concluded that justice would be served by imposing life imprisonment instead of capital punishment.
Background of the Attack
On the night of July 1, 2016, the Holy Artisan Bakery in Gulshan was attacked in a horrific act of terrorism. The assailants took domestic and foreign guests hostage and murdered 22 people by hacking and shooting them.
Among the victims were nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, and three Bangladeshis. During the police operation to free the hostages, two officers lost their lives in a bomb blast.
The original trial court verdict was announced on November 27, 2019.
This verdict marks a significant judicial development in one of Bangladesh’s most notorious terrorism cases.
END/MSS/AJ
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