Chittagong mass killing: Five ex-cops sentenced to death

A Chittagong court has sentenced five former police officials to death in a case filed for the massacre of 24 people at a rally of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in the port city in 1988.

The court of Chittagong District and Sessions Judge Md Ismail Hossain delivered the verdict on Monday with four of the convicted present in court.

The court also sentenced each of the five convicted to 10 years in prison for “causing severe injury with dangerous weapons.”

File photo of Court Building, Chittagong | WikipediaThe convicted are Mostafizur Rahman, Pradip Barua, Shah Md Abdullah, Mamtaj Uddin and Gobinda Chandra Mondal. Of them, Gobinda Chandra Mondal, former patrol inspector, is now absconding.

Three of the eight initially accused–Mirza Raqibul Huda, Bashir Uddin, and Abdus Salam–have passed away, said Public Prosecutor Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury.

Earlier on January 14, the case proceedings formally ended after Advocate Shambhunath Nandy gave testimony as the 53rd witness.

According to the case statement, on January 24, 1988, police opened fire on the motorcade when Awami League President and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was proceeding in a procession to Laldighi Maidan, which left 24 people dead.

On March 5, 1992, lawyer Md Shahidul Huda filed a case with a Chittagong court.

The case was revived after Awami League came to power in 1996. As per the court order, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted the first charge sheet on January 12, 1997, and the second one on November 3, 1998.

Abdul Kader Khan, Assistant Superintendent of Police (CID), submitted the charge sheet accusing eight people. They are then Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Mirza Raqibul Huda, Inspector Gobinda Chandra Mondal, constables Abdus Salam, Mostafizur Rahman, Pradip Barua, Bashir Uddin, Shah Md Abdullah, and Mamtaj Uddin.

The court started the trial proceedings on May 9, 2000.