DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh has sentenced nine opposition activists to death and 25 others to life in prison for an attack on a train carrying political leader Sheikh Hasina 24 years ago.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Hasina’s archrival and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, rejected Wednesday’s verdict, calling it politically motivated.
The current prime minister and then-opposition leader, Hasina was riding a passenger train attacked at Pakshi Rail Station on Sept. 23, 1994. The attackers fired shots and hurled bombs at the train, injuring scores of people, though Hasina was unhurt.
The Paban district trial court also Wednesday sentenced 13 other people to 10 years in jail in a case filed under the Explosives Substances Act of 1908.
The prosecution and local Awami League leaders voiced satisfaction the offenders had been convicted even after the completion of the trial took 24 years.
BNP’s Pabna unit office secretary Jahirul Islam said all of the convicts are leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies.
In a statement, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged the verdict was “dictated” and “cruel” and alleged the train attack had been staged to create a political issue. “The verdict is part of the government’s policy to eliminate BNP using the court,” the BNP leader added.
Hasina won her fourth term and her third straight with an overwhelming victory in Bangladesh’s last election in late December. Amid worry that the dominating victory would allow her to become more authoritarian, she vowed when Parliament opened that she would allow criticism from the opposition.
The main opposition alliance received only seven of the 300 seats in Parliament. Zia’s party is the main partner of the alliance.
Hasina and Zia have ruled the country alternately since 1991, when democracy returned after nine years of military rule. Zia is serving two corruption sentences in cases she says are politically motivated.
At least 19 attacks or assassination attempts have been made against Hasina, the eldest daughter of the country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was brutally killed along with several family members in a coup by an army cabal in 1975.
Bangladesh court sentences 9 to death for 1994 attack on Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh court sentences 9 to death for 1994 attack on Sheikh Hasina
- The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party rejected the verdict, calling it politically motivated
- At least 19 attacks or assassination attempts have been made against Sheikh Hasina
Russia says it doesn’t see French desire yet to resume dialogue at highest level
MOSCOW: Russia said on Tuesday it doesn’t yet see a desire from France to resume dialogue at the highest level, despite recent contacts between Moscow and Paris.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron last spoke in July 2025, which was their first conversation for nearly three years.
Macron sent his top diplomat to Moscow last week, sources told Reuters.
Western European governments have largely shunned dialogue with Putin because of the Ukraine war, in contrast with the Trump administration.
Macron said in December that Europeans would have to re-engage in direct talks with Putin if the latest US-led efforts to broker a Ukraine peace deal founder.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “Indeed, contacts have taken place, we can confirm this, which, if desired and necessary, will help to quickly establish dialogue at the highest level. So far, we have not received any indication of this desire, although we have noted Mr.Macron’s statement on the need to restore relations with Russia. We are impressed by such statements.”
Peskov added: “We have long said that reducing our relations to a state of zero is illogical, counterproductive, and harmful to all parties.” He said Russia favored dialogue to address pressing problems that could not be resolved by confrontation.
