Comilla Court Sentences Three JMB Militants to Prison in Two-Decade-Old Explosives Case

A Comilla court sentenced three members of the banned militant organization Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to varying prison terms on Wednesday, concluding a legal case that had been pending for over two decades.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Khairun Nessa of Special Tribunal-6 delivered the verdict, sentencing two male defendants to 20 years in prison each. The convicts, Md. Mostafizur Rahman—also known as Mintu, Samad, and Rajib—a resident of Kolmidanga village in Naogaon’s Sapahar Upazila, and Mohammad Durul Huda, alias Hasan, from the Chakpara area of Gazipur’s Sreepur Upazila, were found guilty under the Explosives Substances Act. Huda’s wife, Khaleda Akter, also known as Rani, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Police Inspector Md. Sadekur Rahman confirmed that the three convicts were transported to Comilla Central Jail under tight security immediately following the announcement of the verdict.

The case dates back to the night of March 13, 2006, when members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) raided a house in the Bishnupur area of Comilla city acting on intelligence regarding a planned sabotage operation by JMB. The operation was launched following information obtained from the interrogation of top JMB leader Shaykh Abdur Rahman at the agency’s Dhaka headquarters. During the overnight raid, authorities recovered bomb-making materials, chemicals, electrical components, detonators, and batteries, leading to the arrest of the three defendants.

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Following the raid, then-RAB-7 Deputy Assistant Director Md. Joynal Abedin filed a case against the trio at the Comilla Kotwali Model Police Station.

During the prolonged trial, the court heard testimonies from 13 witnesses and reviewed evidence including seizure lists and recovered bomb-making equipment. Public Prosecutor Kaimul Haque Rinku noted that the case was highly publicized at the time of the incident.

In determining the sentence for Khaleda Akter, the court took into account mitigating factors, including her status as a mother of three, the incarceration of her husband, and the lack of other criminal records against her. All three defendants were sent to prison immediately after the proceedings concluded on Wednesday afternoon.