A special tribunal in Comilla has sentenced three members of the banned militant organisation Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including a woman, to varying prison terms under the Explosive Substances Act. The verdict brings to a close a high-profile counter-terrorism trial that spanned more than twenty years.
Judge Khairun Nesa of the Comilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Court (Special Tribunal-6) delivered the judgment on Wednesday afternoon. Following the sentencing, all three convicts were taken into custody and transferred to Comilla Central Jail under heavy police security. Court Police Inspector Md Sadequr Rahman subsequently confirmed the execution of the remand warrants.
Convictions and Sentencing Details
The tribunal handed down 20-year rigorous imprisonment terms to two primary operatives: Md Mostafizur Rahman (also known as Mintu, Samad, or Rajib), hailing from Kolmidanga village in Naogaon’s Sapahar upazila; and Mohammad Durul Huda (also known as Hasan), residing in the Chakpara area of Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila.
The third defendant, Khaleda Akter (Rani), who is the wife of Durul Huda, received an eight-year rigorous prison sentence. In determining her term, the court explicitly noted several mitigating circumstances, including her responsibility for three young children, her husband’s concurrent imprisonment, and her lack of prior criminal history.
Intelligence-Led Midnight Operation
The case stems from a late-night counter-terrorism raid conducted on 13 March 2006. Acting on intelligence regarding planned acts of sabotage, a tactical team from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) raided a residence named ‘Roushan Villa’ in the Bishnupur area of Comilla city. An overnight search yielded a substantial cache of bomb-making materials, dangerous chemical compounds, electrical detonators, wiring, batteries, and related equipment. All three suspects were arrested at the scene.
Case records indicate that the operation was mounted based on information obtained during the interrogation of JMB’s top leader, Shaykh Abdur Rahman, who was in RAB custody in Dhaka at the time. Following the seizure, RAB-7 Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Md Joynal Abedin filed a formal case under the Explosive Substances Act at the Comilla Kotwali Model Police Station.
Extended Legal Proceedings Concluded
The judicial process extended over two decades, during which the tribunal recorded sworn testimonies from 13 prosecution witnesses. Prosecutors presented physical seizure lists, expert assessments of the recovered chemical substances, and the bomb-making apparatus seized from the residence.
Comilla District Public Prosecutor (PP) Kaimul Haq Rinku noted that the incident caused significant public concern across the region when the raid occurred. He stated that the tribunal reached its guilty verdict after a thorough review of witness statements, forensic records, and defense statements, concluding a long-standing legal matter.
