A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced seven people to death and another one to life imprisonment for killing Swechchasebak League leader Hazi Moniruddin Manu in Dhaka’s Mirpur in 2006.
Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 handed down the verdict after examining the records and testimonies of 27 out of 37 prosecution witnesses in the case.
Those condemned to death are Md Shahadat, a listed criminal, Md Mintu, Md Masudur Rahman alias Totla Masud, Mahmudur Rahman alias Sohel, Liton Hossain alias Lotus, Md Noman Ibn Basad alias Babu and Md Hasan Sarwar alias Ziku.
Sohel and Ziku are now behind bars while others are on the run.
Besides, a woman, Jahanara Begum, was sentenced to life in prison and also fined Tk20,000. She is now in hiding.
On August 15, 2006, Manu, former vice president of Swechchasebak League’s Mirpur ward 12 unit, was shot dead while waiting in front of his house in Mirpur’s Shah Ali Bagh area after returning from a programme marking Bangabandhu’s death anniversary.
According to the case statement, Shahadat and his associates had earlier tried to extort money from Manu but gunned him down because he refused.
The victim’s elder brother, Md Akbar Ali, filed a murder case on that day.
Then Sub-Inspector of Mirpur police station AK Nasirullah, also the investigation officer, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka against eight people on October 30, 2007.
The court framed charges against them on 27 April, 2009.
Of the eight, three confessed to being involved.
The case was first tried at a regular court before being shifted to the tribunal.