A Dhaka court has issued the death penalty to seven persons, including a union parishad chairman, for killing a local Awami League (AL) leader in Mymensingh’s Gauripur upazila in 2020.
The death penalties were awarded to Riyad Uzzaman Riyad, Chairman of Mailakanda union of Gauripur, Sakib Ahmed Reza, Joint General Secretary of Gauripur Municipality Chhatra Dal, Khairul Islam and Mozammel Haque, members of Mymensingh District (north) Swecchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal activists Main Uddin, Shariful Islam and Ruhul Amin.
They have also been fined Tk 20,000 each.
Besides issuing death penalty, the court has also given life term to three others accused for their involvement in the crime.
The lifers are Masud Parvez aka Curzon, Shariat Ullah aka Sumon and Rasel Mia.
The court also fined the lifers Tk 20,000 each, non-realization of which will languish them six months more in jail.
Judge Monir Kamal of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 handed down the verdict on Monday.
On October 17, 2020, some unidentified assailants hacked Masudur Rahman Shuvro, General Secretary of Gauripur upazila Swecchasebak League, to death in the upazila’s Pan Mohal area at about 10:00pm.
Abidur Rahman, the deceased’s younger brother, filed a murder case with Gauripur Police Station following the incident. On April 27, 2021, Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) Shah Kamal Akanda submitted a charge sheet to the court accusing 19 people for the killing.
On January 26, 2022, the court framed charges against the accused and started the trial process. During the trial, the court collected testimonies from a total of 17 witnesses while nine people bore witness to the accused.
On October 6, 2022, the court set today for pronouncing the verdict after completion of arguments from the prosecution and the defendant.
Source: United News of Bangladesh