VOA News Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
A court in Bangladesh has sentenced eight Islamic militants to life in prison for their role in a series of blasts across the country five years ago that killed 20 people.
The court in northern Nilphamari district sentenced the eight — all members of the outlawed Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh — on charges of possessing pistols, machine guns and explosives.
On August 17, 2005, Bangladesh was hit by more than 400 synchronized, low-intensity blasts. The government
blamed the JMB, saying the attacks were part of the group’s campaign to replace the country’s secular system with strict sharia law.
The blasts prompted a nationwide crackdown against Islamic militants, during which around 1,000 JMB members were arrested and prosecuted.
Some information in this story was provided by AFP.
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