5 to die for killing 24 in Hasina's Laldighi rally in 1988

A Chittagong court has sentenced five people to death in a case over the gruesome killing of 24 people who attended Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina's rally in Laldighi ground of the port city in 1988.

Chattogram acting Special Judge Mohammad Ismail Hossain pronounced the verdict on Monday.

The convicts are JC Mandal, Prodip Barua, Mustafizur Rahman, Shah Md Abdullah and Momtaj Uddin .

The prosecution story is in brief that , on January 24, 1988, police opened fire on Awami League President and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was proceeding with a motorcade procession to attend a grand rally at city’s Lal Dighi Maidan that left 24 people dead and over 200 injured in the grisly attack.

A case was filed four years later on March 5, 1992, by lawyer Shahidul Huda with the-then Chattogram Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court against 46 people, including the then police commissioner Mirza Raqibul Huda.

A total of 53 eye witnesses including AL Presidium Member and former minister Engineer Mosharrof Hossain MP, deposited their statements before the court of Chattogram Divisional Special Judge.

The first charge-sheet in the case was submitted on December 12, 1997, the second supplementary charge sheet was also submitted on December 3, 1998 accusing eight police personnel while the charges were framed against eight cops on 9 May in 2000.

Among the convicts, JC Mandal, who is the former Patrol Inspector of Chattogram Kotwali area,remained fugitive .

Three of the eight accused in the case had already passed away.

The court also acquitted three persons of the charges Public Prosecutor (PP) of the Divisional Special Court Advocate Mejbah Uddin expressed satisfaction over the verdict.