Twenty six people, including prime accused and Awami League leader Nur Hossain, and dismissed Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, Major Arif Hossain and Lt Commander MM Rana, were awarded death penalty on Monday in the sensational seven-murder case in Naryanganj three years ago.
Judge Sayed Enayet Hossain of Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge’s court pronounced the sentence in the morning.
The court also sentenced nine other accused for seven to 10 years’ of imprisonment.
Nineteen of the convicts are former RAB personnel, and 13 of them received maximum punishment.
The other condemned convicts are: Habildar Emdadul Haque, ROG-1 Arif Hossain, Lance-nayek Hira Mia, Lance-nayek Belal Hossain, Sipahi Abu Tayeb,
Constable Shihab Uddin, Sub-inspector of RAB Purnedu Bala, Sipahi Asaduzzaman Nur,
Associate of Nur Hossain, Mortaza Zaman Churchill, Ali Mohammad, Mizanur Rahman Dipu, Raham Ali, Abul Bashar, Nur Hossain’s Associate Selim (Arrested in India),
Sanaullah Sana, Shahjahan, Jamal Uddin, RAB member Corporal Mokhlesur Rahman,
Soldier Mohiuddin Munsi, Soldier Alamin Sharif, Soldier Tazul Islam, and Sergeant Enamul Kabir.
The court also jailed ASI Abul Kalam Azad, Sipahi Nuruzzaman, Soldier Abdul Alim, ASI Kamal Hossain, Babul Hasan, Constable Habibur Rahman and Lance Corporal Ruhul Amin for 10 years.
Besides, ASI Bazlur Rahman and Habildar Nasir Uddin were sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Earlier on February 8 last year, 35 people including Nur Hossain and three Rab officials were indicted in two cases filed over the incident.
After over-a-year-long trial, the court started reading out the verdict around 10:03 am amid tight security.
Over 300 policemen were deployed on the court premises since 6:00 am.
Nur Hossain and the former RAB officers were in the dock along with 19 others when Judge Syed Enayet Hossain handed down death penalty for the heinous crime that transmitted shock among the people.
Prime accused Nur Hossain and four others were taken to the court from Kashimpur jail in Gazipur while 18 other accused were brought from the Narayanganj jail around 9:00 am.
The victim’s families welcomed the court’s verdict but the defence counsels cried out over it, saying their clients had denied of justice. They said they would challenge in the higher court.
Lawyers also brought out a procession on the court premises welcoming the verdict of the murder case.
Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, former councilor Nazrul Islam’s wife Selina Islam Beauty said, “We want the verdict to be implemented as soon as possible and hope that the High Court will uphold it.”
Murdered lawyer Chandan Sarkar’s daughter Sushmita Sarkar said, “We want quick execution of the verdict.
Chandan’s lawyer Shakhawat Hossain also expressed satisfaction with the verdict but said, “It would have been better if all of the 35 accused had been sentenced to death.”
The father of Chandan’s driver Ibrahim said he was not impressed by the verdict. The main perpetrator of the incident Mojibor is still absconding, he said.
Nazrul’s father-in-law Shaheed Chairman said names of several key suspects had been dropped from the chargesheet. Iqbal and Ashik were the main planners, he claimed.
Twenty three convicts, who were present at the courtroom, were sent to jail after the court pronounced the verdict.
After the preparation of necessary documents, the convicts were taken to Kashimpur and Narayanganj jails around 1:45pm, said Public Prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon.
Five of the accused including prime accused Nur Hossain and Tareque Sayeed were taken to Kashimpur jail in a prison van, while 18 others were sent to Narayanganj jail.
Seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar, were abducted from the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road on April 27, 2014. Three days later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river, creating a countrywide outrage.
Nazrul Islam’s family accused Nur Hossain, a former Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) councilor, of plotting the murder.
Both Nazrul and Nur Hossain belonged to the ruling Awami League.
Nur Hossain was a vice president of Siddhirganj Thana Awami League when the murders took place.
The family of Nazrul Islam alleged that Nur Hossain paid Tk 60 million to senior officers of the local Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-11) to kill the seven victims.
After one year of investigation, the police filed charge-sheet against 35 persons including Nur Hossain and three senior officers of the RAB-11.
Nur Hossain fled immediately after the killings, but was held in Kolkata and brought back to Bangladesh on November 12, 2015.
