A Barguna court has given its verdict in the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case against 14 juveniles.
Barguna Children's Court Judge Hafizur Rahman pronounced the verdict at 2:35pm on Tuesday, reports Bangla Tribune.
The judge sentenced six of the juveniles to 10 years in prison, four juveniles to five years and another one to three years of imprisonment. The rest of the three have been acquitted from the charges against them.
Identities of the accused | |
| Name | Age |
| Rashidul Hasan Rishan alias Rishan Faraji | 18 |
| Rakibul Hasan Rifat Hawlader | 15 |
| Abu Abdullah alias Raihan | 18 |
| Oliullah alias Oli | 18 |
| Joy Chandra Sarkar alias Chandan | 18 |
| Md Naeem | 18 |
| Tanvir Hossain | 18 |
| Nazmul Hasan | 14 |
| Rakibul Hasan Niyamat | 15 |
| Syed Maruf Billah alias Mahibullah | 18 |
| Maruf Mallick | 18 |
| Prince Mollah | 15 |
| Ratul Sikder Joy | 18 |
| Aryan Hossain Shravan | 16 |
On January 8 of this year, the court framed charges against the 14 juveniles.
After the testimony of 74 witnesses and the presentation of arguments by the lawyers of both the parties, the Barguna Children's Court fixed October 14, as the date of judgment. Seven of the 14 accused have testified in the court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The judicial proceeding of the case was completed in 63 working days.
On September 30, Barguna District and Sessions Judge Ashaduzzaman announced the verdict against the 10 adult accused in the case. Six people, including Rifat’s wife Ayesha Siddiqua Minni, were sentenced to death in the Rifat murder case. The remaining four accused were acquitted.
The other convicts given the death sentence are — Rakibul Hasan Rifat Farazi, Al Kaiyum alias Akon, Md. Hasan, Mohaiminul Islam Sifat, and Rezwan Ali Khan Hridoy.
What happened?
On June 26, 2019, Rifat, 22, was attacked with sharp weapons near the main gate of Barguna Government College while his wife Minni appeared to be trying to protect him from the attackers.
Twenty-four people were accused in the murder case filed by Rifat’s father Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif.
The young man’s wife, Minni, initially named as a witness, was later arrested on July 16, and was made an accused in the case.
The main accused, Sabbir Ahmed alias Nayon Bond, was killed in a reported gunfight with law enforcers on July 2 of the year.
