Dhaka: A Dhaka tribunal here on Monday convicted 17 members of banned Islamic outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and sentenced them to 10 years imprisonment each in a case filed in connection with serial bomb blasts in Joydebpur upazila of Gazipur on 17 August 2005.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 Judge Abdur Rahman Sardar passed the order after examining 50 witnesses.

The convicts are-Rokonuzzaman alias Rokon, Mamunur Rashid alias Mamun, Arifur Rahman alias Arif, Nizamuddin alias Reza, Asad alias Jahangir, Durul Huda alias Durul, Mahbubul Alam, Jahirul Islam, Adam, Kawsar, Russel, Abdul Quafi, MA Siddique Bablu, Masum alias Abdur Rauf, Rana alias Abdul Sattar, Raihan alias Obaid and Omar Faruk.

Of them, Russel, Abdul Quafi, MA Siddique Bablu, Masum alias Abdur Rauf, Rana alias Abdul Sattar, Raihan alias Obaid were tried in absentia.

The tribunal also fined them Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment.

The tribunal also acquitted four more JMB men–Hasan (fugitive), Mahbubur Rahman, Nurul Islam–as charges brought against them could not be proved.

On 17 August 2005, banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) simultaneously blasted at least eight bombs in different parts of Joydebpur upazila, including in front of additional deputy commissioner’s (tax) office, sending a wave of panic throughout the area.

Joydebpur police filed a case against 23 JMB men including its chief Shaikh Abdur Rahmana and his brother Ataur Rahman in this connection on that day.

Joydebpur police officer-in-charge Gazi Ruhul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted a charge-sheet on 12 October 2005 while a supplementary charge-sheet on 25 May 2006.

In 2012, a Gazipur court shifted the case to the Dhaka Speedy Tribunal Judge-4.

On 19 February 2012, the tribunal indicted 21 JMB men as the JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman had been executed in another case.