A Rangpur court has sentenced seven members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death in a case filed over the murder of a khadem (caretaker) of a shrine in Kaunia upazila two years ago.
The condemned convicts are – JMB Rangpur region commander Masud Rana, members Isahq Ali, Liton Mia alias Rafiq, Sarwar Hossain alias Sabu, Bijoy alias Ali, Shakhawat Hossain and Chandu Mia.
Of them, only Chandu has been tried in absentia. The court also fined them Tk20,000 each.
The court on Sunday also acquitted six JMB members – Abu Sayed, Towfiqul Islam, Sadat alias Ratan, Jahangir Hossain alias Rajib, Babul Akhter and Najibul Islam - as charges levelled against them could not be proved.
On March 5, the court had fixed March 18 to deliver the verdict in the case.
According to case documents, shrine caretaker Rahmat Ali was hacked to death at Chaitarmore in Kaunia’s Tepamadhupur union when he was returning home from a local bazar on November 10, 2015.
His son Shafiqul Islam filed the murder case at Kaunia police station later. After investigation, police submitted the charge sheet accusing 15 JMB members.
The court, on August 16 last year, dropped two accused - Nazrul Islam alias Bike Hasan and Saddam Hossain - from the charge sheet as they were killed in a reported gunfight with police, and indicted 12 other accused.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
