Dhaka: The High Court will deliver its verdict on Thursday on appeals filed by 10 convicted members of Jama’atul Mujahided Bangladesh (JMB) in connection with the bomb attack on Gazipur Bar Association Auditorium in 2005 that left nine people dead.

An HC bench of Justice Mohammad Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan fixed the date on 20 July after concluding the hearing on the death references and appeals.

The 10 JMB men who were awarded death penalty by the lower court are Enayetullah alias Walid aka Jewel, Arifur Rahman alias Akash alias Hasib, Masidul Islam Masud aka Bhutto, Saidur Munshi alias Shahidul Munshi alias Emon alias Palash, Abdullah Al Sohain alias Jayid alias Akash, Nizamuddin Reza aka Roni alias Kochi, Tayebur Rahman alias Hasan, M Ashraful Islam alias Arsad alias Abbas Khan, M Safiullah aka Tareque alias Abul Kalam and Adnan Sami alias Ammar alias Jahangir. Two powerful bombs were exploded in the hall 2 of Gazipur Bar Association  Auditorium on 29 November, 2005, killing nine people, including four lawyers—Bar Association general secretary Amzad Hossain, Nurul Huda, Anwarul Azam and Golam Faruk—and four justice seekers dead.

The other deceased was JMB suicide squad member Azad alias Zia alias Nazir alias Nahid. A case was filed against JMB leaders Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Ataur Rahman Sunny and some other operatives with Joydevpur Police Station. After investigation, police on 4 July, 2007 submitted charge-sheet against 15 accused dropping the names of Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Sunny and Khaled Saifullah as they had earlier been executed in other cases.

On 24 April, 2011, additional district and session’s judge court-1 of Gazipur framed charges against 10 JMB men and the case was shifted to the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 of Dhaka on 3 October of the same year for trial.

On 20 June, 2013, the speedy trial tribunal sentenced the 10 JMB men to death.

Later, death references were sent to the High Court for its approval. At the same time, the convicts filed appeals and jail appeals against the sentence. All the 10 JMB men are now behind the bars.