Bangla hangs 6 Islamist leaders for bomb attacks

Dhaka, Mar 30: Bangladesh today hanged six Islamist militants convicted of countrywide bomb attacks in 2005, police said.

They said the six included Bangla Bhai, chief of the outlawed group Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, and Shayek Abdur Rahman, the supreme leader of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. They were hanged at different jails across the country.

Bangla Bhai, was hanged in northern Mymensingh jail while Shayek was executed at eastern Comilla prison.

Police said their bodies had been sent to their respective villages in different districts.

The groups are trying to introduce Islamic law in Bangladesh, a mainly Muslim democracy.

The six were sentenced to death by the High Court in May last year for masterminding or involvement in a series of bomb attacks which killed at least 30 people and wounded 150 in 2005.

The victims included judges, lawyers, police and other officials.

Police said security had been beefed up across the country as intelligence reports said followers of the condemned men were trying to stage protests mainly at their home districts.

Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January 11, and is run by an interim government until the next election -- for which no date has yet been set.

The interim government leaders earlier said ahead of the election they would cleanse the country of everything including corrupt politicians and terrorists who in the name of Islam kill people.

Reuters

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