Taslima Khan Akhi

A court here yesterday sentenced four outlaws of Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) including two female members to life in prison in an arms case.
Judge of Special Judge's Court, Kushtia Akbar Hossain Mridha announced the verdict after examining records and 30 witnesses.
The convicts are Taslima Khan Akhi, expelled general secretary of Kushtia town Mahila Awami League (AL), Rani Khatun of housing area, Abdur Razzak of Kalishankarpur and Sahinur Rahman of Mahisdanga in Kushtia sadar upazila.
The court acquitted driver Akkas Ali Mollah who was carrying the outlaws in a microbus.
According to the prosecution, three separate police teams led by the then Assistant Police Super (ASP-Headquarters), Kushtia Alamgir Hossain intercepted a Kushtia bound microbus from Daulatpur upazila in Trimohoni area on the outskirts of Kushtia around 12:45am on November 3, 2009.
When the law enforcers wanted to search the microbus, Akhi introduced herself as an AL leader and got into a squabble. At one stage she tried to start the microbus and flee, but police foiled her attempt.
The law enforcers searched the microbus and discovered an AK-47 rifle, a shotgun, and 82 bullets.
Police arrested the gang and filed two separate cases with Sadar Police Station. After investigation, police submitted charge sheet on March 12 this year.
Akhi, a patron of the outfit, was involved in transporting firearms to different spots for more than ten years. According to the case, she picked up the weapons from a hideout of Daulatpur upazila on instructions from top GMF bosses Shahinur Rahman and Aminul Islam Mukul who are now in Bongaon jail in West Bengal in India.
Biplob, a cadre of GMF, was taking care of the arms in the hideout. He was killed in police 'crossfire' on September 13 last year.
After Biplob's killing, the top leaders of the outfit needed to save the weapons, and they chose Akhi as the custodian. GMF leaders asked Razzak and Shahinur to accompany Akhi for transporting the weapons from the hideout. Akhi later took Rani with her.
Involved in AL politics, Akhi also gave shelter to the outfit's cadres in her house at Aruapara in Kushtia town. She earned handsome amount of money for the service. Being an AL leader she managed to stay out of the list of suspects.