The High Court will deliver its verdict on February 5 on the appeals against the trial court judgement, which sentenced nine people to death and life imprisonment to 25 others, in a case over the attack on a train carrying the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina in Pabna's Ishwardi 30 years ago.

The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam and Justice Md Hamidur Rahman today fixed February 5 for delivering the verdict after concluding hearing on the death reference and appeals filed by those convicted in the case, defence lawyer Advocate Maksud Ullah told The Daily Star.

On September 23,1994, Sheikh Hasina was travelling from Khulna to Saidpur by train and addressed several rallies at different railway stations on the way.

According to the case statement, as the train reached Paksey station in Ishwardi, it came under attack. Crude bombs were hurled and shots were fired. The attack continued until the train reached Ishwardi station. Many were injured while the Awami League president was unhurt.

Following the attack, Nazrul Islam, the then officer-in-charge of Ishwardi General Railway Police Station, filed a case against five members of the BNP and its associate bodies.

On July 3, 2019, a Pabna court sentenced nine people to death and also handed down life sentences to 25 accused and 10-year rigorous imprisonment to 13 others in the case filed under the Explosives Substances Act, 1908.

The nine who got the death penalty are: AKM Akteruzzaman, former president of Ishwardi municipality unit BNP; Zakaria Pintu, general secretary of the BNP unit; Mokhlesur Rahman Bablu, ex-general secretary of the BNP unit and ex-mayor of Ishwardi municipality; Rezaul Karim Shahin, ex-leader of Ishwardi Government College Chhatra Dal unit; Azizur Rahman Shahin, convener of Ishwardi upazila Jubo Dal; and local BNP activists Shahidul Islam Atal, Shyamol, Mahabubur Rahman Polash and Shamsul Alam. They were also fined Tk 5 lakh each.

Later, the convicts filed separate appeals with the HC challenging the trial court judgement on them.

During the hearing of the death reference and appeals, defence lawyer Kayser Kamal told the HC that the investigation of the case was a fishing inquiry and the outcome is from a desperate and frustrated mind which is imaginary.

Therefore, the investigation itself was maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive for wreaking vengeance on the appellants due to a personal grudge.

The trial court judgment manifested over-enthusiasm, presumably to please someone and therefore, nine individuals were sentenced to death, 25 got life imprisonment and 13 other got 10 years' imprisonment convictions, he argued.

Kayser Kamal also said this is a case of malicious prosecution and misapplication of the law, therefore all convicted may be acquitted.

Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Mujibur Rahman represented the state during the hearing.