Wife, her friend to die for killing husband

A Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced two people to death for the killing of a Bangladesh Meteorological Department supervisor in 2006. Judge Abdur Rahman Sarder of the Fourth Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the verdict in absence of the convicts. The tribunal also fined them Tk20,000 each. The convicts – Yeasmin Ferdous Shilpy, wife of murdered Abdur Razzak Sarker, 49, and Md Saiful Islam, Shilpy's friend – are on the run since they secured bail from the High Court in 2007. The court delivered the verdict after examining the statements of 13 witnesses. On February 13, 2006, Shilpy and Saiful killed Razzak in a pre-planned manner in presence of their two children. Shilpy was having an extra marital affair with Saiful. Shilpy had hid Saiful under the bed on the day of the incident. They suffocated Razzak with a pillow and also smashed his genitalia when he was sleeping. The court in its observation termed it a heinous act and cold-blooded murder, and said: “So there is no scope for showing any sympathy.” Following the incident, victim's brother Saidur Rahman filed a case with the Metropolitan Magistrate Court and the court ordered Mohammadpur police to lodge an FIR in this regard. After investigation, Mohammadpur police Sub-Inspector Sheikh Matiur Rahman submitted the charge sheet on October 1, 2006. The court indicted the duo on May 7, 2007. Later, Shilpy confessed before the court to murdering her husband. Her two children, Ruchita and Shuchita, also testified before the court as witnesses.