A Dhaka court has delivered its long-awaited verdict in the murder case of police informant Jalal Ahmed Shafi, nearly 27 years after the killing, sentencing three individuals, including two police personnel, to life imprisonment.
Although the judgment was issued last Thursday, it came to public attention on Sunday. Dhaka’s Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mosaddeq Minhaj passed the order.
Court bench assistant Saidur Rahman confirmed the matter, saying each convict has also been fined Tk 10,000, in default of which they will serve an additional one month of simple imprisonment.
As all the accused remain absconding, the court has issued both arrest and conviction warrants.
Those sentenced are: havildar Md Billal Hossain, constable Md Abdur Rouf, and DB canteen manager Md Anwar Hossain. Another accused, driver Abdul Malek, was acquitted as charges against him were not proven. Inspector Md Ziaul Hasan of the Metropolitan Detective Police, also named in the case, died during the trial proceedings.
According to case documents, Jalal Ahmed Shafi’s partially decomposed body was recovered on March 25, 1999, from a water tank on the rooftop of the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) office on Minto Road. The following day, the then sub-inspector SM Ali Azam Siddiqui filed a case at Ramna Police Station against unidentified suspects.
After the body was identified, Jalal’s son, Abbas Uddin, filed a murder case on April 4, 1999.
The complaint stated that Jalal was a microbus driver who initially owned his vehicle but later sold it and worked as a hired driver. Owing to his professional links, he developed close ties with DB officials and was frequently engaged for official driving duties.
On March 20, 1999, Jalal left his Lalmatiya residence in Mohammadpur around 3:00am after reportedly being summoned by DB officials, carrying his driving documents and cheque book. He never returned.
Days later, his family learned of his disappearance. On March 31, unidentified individuals visited their home carrying his photograph and inquiring about his identity. His body was later identified at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The case statement further alleged that Jalal was abducted and killed on March 19, 1999, after providing information about a gold smuggling ring, which allegedly angered accused Md Ziaul Hasan. His body was subsequently concealed in a rooftop water tank at the DB office.
The incident had sparked widespread public outrage at the time. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet in the case on August 9, 1999, within five months of the killing.