A Chittagong Court on Monday sentenced nine men to death for killing a man in Fatikchhari 17 years ago.
Chittagong’s fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge Farjana Akter also fined each of the convicts Tk20,000.
The convicts are - Nasir, 30, Babul, 28, Shahin, 27, Nurul Islam, 32, Md Jobayer, 23, Didar, 22, Abu Bakar, 26, Jangu, 35 and Ismail, 24.
One of the 10 accused in the case had died and was therefore cleared of the charges. But only one of the nine remaining suspects – Nasir – was present in court while the others are still absconding.
According to the case details, Nesar Ahmed Tota, an expatriate, who had returned from Dubai, was killed shortly after being taken from his house in Fatikchhri upazila's Dakkhin Rangamatia on November 1, 2003. Later, they dumped the body at a field in Fatikchhari upazila.
The next day, the victim's wife filed a case under charges against 10 suspects with Fatikchhari police station. She alleged that Tota was killed over a monetary issue.
The charge sheet was filed on May 14, 2004. The trial subsequently began on March 20, 2006, with the court hearing the testimony of 10 witnesses.
According to court sources, Nesar had a previous animosity with the convicts.
