11 jailed for assassination attempt on PM Hasina

The Dhaka court also handed down life imprisonment to the accused for blasting bombs on the same day in 1989 at the house of Hasina.

The court imposed a fine of 20,000 taka each on the convicts - members of the now defunct Bangladesh Freedom Party (BFP) which was behind the killing of Bangladesh's first president and the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, court officials and lawyers said.

The BFP had toppled Bangladesh's post independence Awami League government after killing Bangabandhu along with most of his family members.

"Eight of the convicts faced the trial in person and the rests including (Freedom party chief) and sacked lieutenant colonel Abdur Rashid are on the run," said a prosecution lawyer of Dhaka Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court which tried the case.

Rashid had previously been sentenced to death for the murder of Bangabandhu, the father of Hasina, 70.

Bangabandhu, the Father of the nation and first president of Bangladesh, was assassinated in 1975. He is considered to be the driving force behind the independence of Bangladesh.

The convicts were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each in two separate charges, a total of 20 years, officials said.

One accused was acquitted as the charges brought against him were not proved.

According to the case, seven or eight armed members of the BFP came to the residence of Bangabandhu in Dhanmondi area on August 11, 1989.