A Bangladesh court has sentenced five members of a banned Islamist outfit to 10 years' imprisonment after they were convicted over some explosions in 2005, said reports.
The five convicts were members of the Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which was responsible for the synchronised explosion of hundreds of home-made bombs across the nation on 17 August, 2005.
"Six JMB militants were charged with the bombings. One was acquitted and five others were sentenced to 10 years in jail," AFP quoted police inspector Mominul Islam as saying.
The blasts were reportedly carried out demanding Sharia law in moderate Sunni-majority Bangladesh. Six JMB leaders were executed in 2007 over involvement in the attacks.
However, reports suggest the members of the outlawed militant outfit have regrouped and carried out murders of two foreigners in 2015, besides attacking minority Shiites and Ahmadiyas as well as Christians.
At least five commanders of the militant group have been killed by security forces since November 2015, the AFP report quoted the police as saying.
Recently, Pakistan recalled one of its woman diplomats — Fareena Arshad — in Dhaka following allegations that she provided financial help to the JMB.
