DHAKA: The jail authorities on Wednesday night executed Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJi) top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan and his two aides for grenade attack on the-then UK envoy in Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004.

The two other militants were Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul and Delowar Hossain alias Ripon.

Mufti Hannan and Bipul were executed in the Kashimpur High Security Central Jail, while Ripon in the Sylhet Central Jail.

They were hanged immediately after 10:00pm (April 12) at the Kashimpur jail and the Sylhet jail.

Inspector general (IG) of prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin, deputy inspector general (DIG) prisons Tauhidul Islam and high officials of the government and the police were present at the Kashimpur jail to execute them.

Syed Iftekhar Uddin and Tauhidul Islam entered the jail earlier in the evening. At the same time of their entrance, two ambulances were seen entering the jail.

However, the authorities have beefed up security in and around the Kashimpur jail and its adjacent areas.

Earlier in the morning, family members of Mufit Hannan met him at the jail. His wife, two daughters and elder brother met him there.

Meanwhile, the family members of Ripon also met him at the Sylhet jail.

On May 21 in 2004, three people, including two cops, were killed and at least 50 others, including the-then British high commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Chowdhury, were injured in the grenade attack at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) in Sylhet.

On July 31 in 2007, Kotowali Thana police filed a case against unnamed accused. Later, police submitted investigation reports against four including Mufti Hannan.

On December 23 in 2008, a judicial court, handed down death sentence to Mufti Hannan, Bipul and Ripon. Besides, Mofizur Rahman and Mufti Moin alias Abu Jandal were awarded life term imprisonment.

The convicts filed an appeal plea challenging the death sentence of the trial court with the High Court in 2009.

On February 11 in 2016, the HC delivered its verdict against Mufti Hannan and others.

On December 7 in 2016, the Appellate Division upheld High Court’s verdict. The 65-page full verdict of the SC was published on January 18 in 2017.

Later on February 23 in 2017, Advocate Mohammad Ali, counsel of Mufti Hannan and Bipul, filed review pleas with the Supreme Court.

On March 19, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected their review petitions, upholding the death penalty of three HuJi men.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, rejected the review plea.

On March 21, full text of the Appellate Division’s verdict was released on the review petition. The copy of the verdict reached Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur and Sylhet Central Jail following release of the verdict.

On March 27, the three condemned convicts– Mufti Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain Ripon– sought presidential clemency. Later, their petitions were sent to the President.

President Abdul Hamid has rejected the petitions for clemency, clearing the way of their executions.

(Published 2017/04/12 at 9:37 pm)