Several Islamic scholars remain imprisoned under death sentences in the controversial Kotalipara bomb case, which involved the alleged recovery of a 76-kilogram explosive near a rally site of Sheikh Hasina in Gopalganj in July 2000. The first charge sheet did not include their names, but after the Awami League came to power in 2009, investigators added them to the case. In 2017, a speedy trial tribunal sentenced them to death, and in 2021 the High Court upheld the verdict.

Case documents show the convictions were based on a coerced confession from Mufti Hannan, later declared legally unreliable by a higher court. Lawyers and family members claim the scholars were falsely implicated for political reasons and remain in prison without final hearings. Human rights representatives described the case as part of a broader attempt to portray Islamic leaders as extremists.

The case files were sent to the High Court in 2017, but repeated bench reorganizations have delayed hearings. As a result, the convicted scholars continue to serve long prison terms while awaiting judicial review.