A court in Dhaka, Bangladesh, acquitted prominent newspaper editor Mahmudur Rahman on Monday in a case related to a failed plot to abduct and kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the United States in 2015. Rahman, the editor of Amar Desh, had been convicted and sentenced in absentia, but the court found the charges against him to be fabricated.
The judgment was delivered by Dhaka’s 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Tarique Aziz. In his ruling, Judge Aziz stated, “The charges brought against the appellant were found to be false and fabricated. So, the judgment sentencing him by the trial court was scrapped and the appellant was acquitted.”
Rahman, who had been sentenced to seven years in prison in 2022, had appealed the conviction, leading to the reversal of the sentence.
Reactions of Rahman on the Court Verdict
Rahman talked to the media after the verdict and expressed relief and gratitude. “I finally got justice from the court,” Rahman said. “I will continue my fight against fascism, which is also the country’s struggle.” The appeal for acquittal of Rahman was heard and accepted. So, his earlier sentence was canceled.
Background of the Case
The case dates back to August 3, 2015, when a complaint was filed accusing Rahman, along with senior journalist Shafik Rehman and others, of conspiring to abduct and kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy. The plot allegedly included meetings with members of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Bangladesh.
Rahman, Rehman, and numerous others were arrested and condemned in absentia, although Rahman returned to Bangladesh in 2022 after more than five years of exile. Upon his return, he submitted to the authorities and was imprisoned.
Implications of the Verdict
The case against Rahman, which involved several high-profile political individuals, has sparked widespread discussion in Bangladesh about the ramifications of such a decision for political freedom and justice. The acquittal gives Rahman’s case a fresh twist, as he continues to speak out against political tyranny in the country.