The full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has upheld the stay order on  bail to seven convicts in a case filed over the attack on motorcade of the then opposition leader and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Satkhira in 2002. The Bench passed the order on Monday after hearing the state's leave to appeal against the High Court's bail order. Attorney General M Amin Uddin was in favour of the state while Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon was on the side of the accused. The convicts are lawyers Abdus Sattar and Abdus Samad, Golan Rasul, Rakib, Zahirul, Shahabuddin and Monirul Islam. READ: Humanity will overcome pandemic soon: Modi writes to Hasina The High Court granted bail to the seven accused on May 25. Following the hearing of the state's appeal against it, Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Hasan Foez Siddique stayed the High Court order. Besides, he sent the state's petition to its full bench. On August 30, 2002, Sheikh Hasina's convoy was attacked on the Jessore-Satkhira road in front of the Kalaroa Upazila BNP office in Satkhira. After investigating the case, the police filed a chargesheet against 50 people, including former MP Habibul Islam, in 2015. According to the charges against the accused, the attack was carried out with the intention of killing Sheikh Hasina. Following the trial in this case, the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court of Satkhira sentenced all the accused (50 people) on February 4. READ: Govt’s focus is both on life and livelihood: Hasina   The verdict sentenced Habibul Islam and three others to 10 years imprisonment in several sections. The remaining 48 were given different terms (less than 5 years). Habib and other accused appealed to the Satkhira District Sessions Judge's Court against the sentence. They failed to get bail there and sought bail in the High Court.

The Supreme Court's Appellate Division Sunday upheld its chamber judge's order that stayed the High Court bail to seven convicts in a case filed over the attack on the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina's motorcade in Satkhira in 2002, and extended it till June 20. The court also asked the state to file a leave to appeal in this connection within this time. Also, the Appellate Division has fixed June 20 for the hearing on the leave to appeal. A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order Sunday after hearing the state's appeal. READ: Attack on Sheikh Hasina: SC stays bail of 7 accused Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state while Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon stood for the convicts. On May 25, the High Court granted bail to seven convicts in the case – Abdus Sattar, Abdus Samad, Golam Rasul, Rakib, Zahirul, Shahabuddin and Monirul Islam. However, on May 27, the Appellate Division's Chamber Judge Justice Hasan Foez Siddique stayed the bail order until today. READ: Attack on Hasina: 43 convicts file petition challenging lower court verdict On August 30, 2002, the then opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's convoy came under attack as she was returning to Magura after visiting a freedom fighter's wife in Satkhira's Kalaroa. Although Hasina survived the attack relatively unscathed, at least 12 people, including Awami League leaders and journalists, were injured, according to the case statement. On September 2 of that year, former Kolaroa Awami League general secretary Moslem Uddin filed the case against 27 named and 70-75 unnamed accused. The accused included several BNP leaders and activists in Satkhira. However, the case was later dismissed for not being recorded at the police station. On February 4 this year, Satkhira Chief Judicial Magistrate Court convicted and sentenced 50 people in the case. READ: 30 BNP men sent to jail over 1994 attack on Hasina in Pabna Among them, 34 convicts who were present in the courtroom, were sent behind bars the same day; the others are running away.