DHAKA, March 02, 2022 (BSS) - A court here today remanded a person tried, convicted and sentenced to death in absentia in a case lodged over an attempt to murder Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Kotalipara, Gopalganj, in 2000.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rashidul Alam placed Md Azizul Haque Rana alias Shanewaj alias Ruman on four-day remand as police produced him before the court and pleaded to place him on 10-day remand in an anti-terrorism act case filed with Khilkhet Police Station.

A team of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit arrested Azizul Haque Rana from capital's Khilkhet area on the night of March 1 and recovered two jihadi books, two mobile phone sets, pen-drive and computer hard disk from his possession.

According to the case documents, army men recovered a 76-kg powerful bomb on July 21, 2000, from the premises of Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Government Ideal College when a podium was being made for Prime Minister's rally.

Then sub-inspector Nur Hossain of Kotalipara Police Station filed the case under explosive substances act. ASP Abdul Kahhar Akand on November 15, 2001, filed charge-sheet against 15 in the case and the court on November 21, 2004, framed charges against the accused.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on March 23, 2021, sentenced 14 members of banned militant outfit Harkat ul-Jihad al Islami (HuJI) including Md Azizul Haque Rana to death in the case.

The tribunal in its order had sentenced the convicts to be executed by firing squad in public or by traditional way of hanging.