Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia’s son sentenced to life in 2004 grenade attack case
Dhaka, Oct 10 : Tarique Rahman, the fugitive son of former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia, was sentenced to life and 19 others were given death sentence by a court here on Wednesday over the 2004 grenade attack that killed 24 people and injured 500 others, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004 targeted Hasina, who was the opposition leader at that time. Hasina survived the attack with a partial hearing loss.
The verdict comes ahead of the election in December. Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had boycotted the 2014 election. Security was tightened in the capital as the accused were brought to the court.
Rahman, 50, was tried in absentia with the court declaring him a "fugitive". He now lives in London where he is believed to have sought asylum though the British authorities have declined to reveal his immigration status.
He leads the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from exile after Zia was jailed in February for five years for corruption.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka's fast track Tribunal pronounced the judgment ordering Rahman to be sent to prison for life along with 18 others.
Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar is among 19 people who were sentenced to death.
Rahman, two former ministers including Babar and former top police and intelligence officials of the then BNP-led four-party alliance government were among 49 accused in the cases.
The judge made 12-point observations on the background, motive and consequences of the attack.
Investigations found an influential quarter of the then BNP-led government, including Rahman, masterminded and sponsored the attackers -- the operatives of militant Harkatul Jihad al Islami (HuJI).
Investigators said Hasina was the main target of the attack. Hasina was injured in the attack while party's women front chief and former president Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman were among the dead.
Thirty one of the 49 convicts were present in the court on Wednesday while others were sentenced in absentia.
"We are taking steps to bring back the fugitive convicts," home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters as the verdict was announced.
Those who were sentenced to death were fined Taka one lakh each. The High Court must confirm their death penalty after a mandatory review.
Other political figures, who were given life sentence, are ex-premier Zia's the then political adviser Haris Chowdhury and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP: Man dies of heat condition in ambulance; family alleges King George hospital denied ventilator
Lucknow (PTI): A 60-year-old man allegedly died on the way to a hospital in an ambulance after he could not get a ventilator at the King George Medical University where he was undergoing treatment for a heart condition.
The KGMU administration, however, claimed it tried to save the man and referred him to another facility in the absence of a ventilator.
Wazirganj Police Station SHO Dinesh Chandra Mishra said a complaint has been filed by the man's family but an FIR was yet to be lodged.
According to his family, Abrar Ahmed, a resident of an area under Dubagga Police Station, underwent angioplasty in 2018 at KGMU's Cardiology Department (Lari Cardiology).
He was admitted to KGMU's emergency centre after his condition deteriorated Sunday night.
Seeing his condition, doctors said he needed a ventilator immediately but since there was no spare unit, they referred him to another hospital.
Ahmed's son Saif alleged that doctors did not pay heed to his father's repeated requests for a ventilator.
"My father was given four injections after which he started to bleed from nose and mouth. Despite his pleadings, doctors treated him badly. He was referred to the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and he died on the way," Saif told reporters.
KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh said Ahmed was diagnosed with a coronary artery disease in 2018, but he skipped checkups.
"The patient underwent angioplasty. After angioplasty, the doctor called him for checkup from time to time, but the patient did not come to the OPD for follow-up after that," the hospital said in a statement.
"When his health deteriorated, the patient was brought to the emergency room in a serious condition of heart failure. Where the doctors immediately admitted him and put him on oxygen support and necessary tests were done," it said.
The patient had difficulty breathing, but "unfortunately, all the ICU-ventilator beds of Lari Cardiology were full."
"He was put on oxygen support and was immediately advised to be taken to Sanjay Gandhi PGI and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences. A reference letter was also given. An ambulance was also provided from KGMU to take the patient to another institution. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, the patient could not be saved," the statement said.
