Attack in Atia Mahal : 3 people acquitted

This verdict was announced in Sylhet Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal Judge Muhammad Nurul Amin Biplab's court. On March 14, Judge Nurul Amin Biplab fixed the date of the judgment after presenting arguments in the court.

The verdict of the anti-terror law case was announced at 12 noon on Wednesday in connection with the anti-terror operation in Atia Mohal of Shibbari area of South Surma, Sylhet. After 5 years and 11 months, the judgment of this case was pronounced.

Sylhet anti-terrorism special tribunal judge Muhammad Nurul Amin announced the verdict in the court of revolution.

The three JMB members accused in the Atiya Mahal attack are Jahurul Haque alias Jasim (29) of Baishari of Naikshyongchari police station of Bandarban district, Md. Hasan (28) and Zahrul Haque alias Jasim's wife Arjina alias Razia Sultana (21) have been acquitted.

According to the source of the case, the anti-terrorist operation started in Atiya Mahal from the night of March 23, 2017. RAB, police, special crime response team (CRT) of police, army commando team participated in the operation. At the end of 'Operation Twilight' conducted by the army, the bodies of four people, including a woman, were recovered from inside the building.

Before the completion of the operation, a bomb blast took place some distance from Atiya Mahal during the operation. The then head of RAB's intelligence department, Lt. Col. Abul Kalam Azad, seven people including two policemen were killed.

Three cases were registered after the anti-militancy operation in Atiya Mahal. The police initially investigated the case, but later the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) took charge of the investigation. On September 7, 2019, the PBI submitted the charge sheet of the case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act in the court. Three persons were accused in the charge sheet. Later that year, Zahurul and his wife Arjina and Chandina of Comilla were killed in a separate anti-terrorist operation in Chittagong's Sitakunda. Hasan was arrested. Later in January 2019, they were arrested in the Atiya Mahal case.

On the other hand, PBI submitted the final report to the court on July 14, 2019 in two cases related to bomb blast and murder. The report called for settlement of the case.

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