The whole family is devastated for him now
Jabed Iqbal alias Mohammad, a former Chittagong divisional commander of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), said his entire family was devastated when he became involved in militancy, his father Abdul Awal said. The retired madrassa teacher said, ‘The boy has been involved in militancy by misunderstanding as he is young. Now the boy regrets misunderstanding. The whole family is devastated for him now. ‘
Judge Abdul Halim of the anti-terrorism tribunal on Sunday sentenced Jabed to life in prison in connection with the bombing. Jabed’s father told reporters at the court premises after the verdict was announced. In the same case, the court sentenced JAMB bomb maker Zahidul Islam alias Mizan to death.
Jabed is the second of four children of Abdul Awal, a retired madrasa teacher in Khuruskhul, Cox’s Bazar. Awal had a dream of making his son, a former student of the Arabic department of Dhaka University, a university teacher. He said, ‘At the age of 19, he (Jabed) joined JMB. Didn’t understand the whole thing. This is not Islam. These are the ways against Islam. ‘
Abdul Awal said that no parent wants their son to be involved in militancy.
Manoranjan Das, public prosecutor at the anti-terrorism tribunal in Chittagong, told Prothom Alo that 32 of the six witnesses in the case were called. After realizing his guilt and repenting, the court sentenced the accused Jabed to life imprisonment. He was young at the time of the incident.
According to court sources, on November 29, 2005, JMB members bombed the main entrance of the Chittagong court building in front of a police check post. Police constable Rajib Barua and candidate Shahabuddin were killed on the spot. Police constables Abu Raihan, Samsul Kabir, Rafiqul Islam, Abdul Majid and 10 others were injured.
Boma Mizan, one of the two accused in the case, was arrested by RAB on May 15, 2009 from Taltala in Kafrul, Dhaka. On 23 February 2014, militants attacked a prison van in Mymensingh’s Trishal and snatched three JMB leaders, including Boma Mizan. Mizan was arrested on 6 August 2016 in Kolkata.
In his response to the announcement of the verdict, police constable Rafiqul Islam, who was injured in the bombing, told Prothom Alo that the verdict in the case against the militants should be implemented soon.
