A Dhaka court on Wednesday handed death penalty to eight members of Bangladesh Chhatra League and sentenced 13 others to life imprisonment for their involvement with the killing of Bishwajit Das.
Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of Speedy Trials Tribunal 4 passed the order in presence of the convicts.
The death row convicts are Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul Haque, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Quiyum Miah Tipu, Saiful Islam, and the absconding Rajon Talukder and Noor-e-Alam Limon.
Golam Mostafa and AHM Kibria, under arrest in police custody, and the absconding others – Monirul Haque Pavel, Obaidul Quader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Khondoker Md Yunus Ali, Tarique Bin Zohor, Azizur Rahman, Al Amin Sheikh, Mosharraf Hossain, Rafiqul Islam, Md Alauddin and Md Alauddin – were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court also fined the death row convicts Tk20,000 each. In case of failing to pay the fines, they have to serve two years of rigorous imprisonment.
Besides, the life sentenced convicts were fined Tk500 each and imprisoned for six months found guilty in line with section 143 of the Penal Code. A violation would result in six months of rigorous imprisonment.
Uttam Kumar Das, brother of Bishwajit Das, told the Dhaka Tribune he was satisfied with the verdict given a year after the murder took place.
Bishwajit Das was hacked to death in broad daylight during a blockade programme of the 18-party alliance near Bahadur Shah Park on December 9, 2012.
Sutrapur police filed a murder case in this regard on the same day. On June 2, charges were framed against the 21 Chhatra League activists.
The murder drew flack on the ruling Awami League and was one of the most hyped criticisms of the government during its five-year rule.
However, Awami League had claimed that the perpretators of the crime were infiltrators of the Jagannath University Chhatra League.
