No charge of militancy against released BNP leader Pintu in case file, says his lawyer – ThePrint – ANIFeed

Dhaka (Bangladesh), December 26 (ANI): There is no allegation of militant affiliation against Bangladesh’s former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, who was released by the caretaker government headed by Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Shishir’s lawyer Monir said on Thursday.

Pintu, the vice-president of the BNP, was released from prison on Tuesday morning after a period of 17 years. He was arrested for his alleged involvement in the 21 August 2004 massacre targeting Awami League politicians, including Sheikh Hasina.

“Abdus Salam Pintu has been charged with conspiracy for the August 21 (2004) grenade attacks,” his lawyer Shishir Monir told ANI over phone. Pintu was sentenced to death in 2018, which was overturned on December 1 by a Bangladesh High Court.

Asked about certain media reports claiming that Pintu has links with the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and terrorist groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) conspiring to carry out an attack on India , lawyer Shishir Monir said, “There is no such charge in the case filed against him.”

On 21 August 2004, 24 Awami League leaders were killed and at least 400 injured in a grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina’s public meeting. Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped but her hearing was impaired due to an ear injury.

A judicial court sentenced 19 people to death, including BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu, on 10 October 2018.

On August 5, a student-led movement ousted Sheikh Hasina as prime minister of Bangladesh after weeks of protests and clashes that killed more than 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

On 1 December, all accused who received the death penalty and life imprisonment in the 21 August 2004 grenade attacks under the Crimes and Explosives Act were acquitted by the country’s High Court.

The High Court also observed that the trial court’s decision was illegal. This verdict was delivered by Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayet Hossain.

Abdus Salam Pintu was elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Tangail-2 (Gopalpur-Bhuyapur) in the national elections of 1991 and 2001. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Minister. In January 2008, he was arrested in connection with the August 21 grenade attack. Since his arrest, he has been held in jail. (YEAR)

This report is automatically generated by the ANI news service. ThePrint assumes no responsibility for its content.