Eighteen years after the brutal abduction and murder of an 11-year-old boy in the capital’s Kafrul area, a Dhaka court has delivered its verdict, sentencing two men to life imprisonment and another to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The judgement was pronounced on Sunday by Judge Munshi M. Moshinur Rahman of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal–4 in Dhaka. State prosecutor Md Ershad Alam confirmed the outcome following the hearing.
Case background
According to court records, the victim, Mohammad Shafiqur Islam, also known as Milon, went missing on 6 March 2008 from the North Senpara area of Kafrul. He was only 11 years old at the time. Shortly after his disappearance, his family received a ransom demand of 200,000 taka.
When the ransom was not paid, the abductors strangled the child to death, as stated in the case documents. In an attempt to conceal the crime, they disposed of the body in a river in Savar.
Following the incident, the victim’s father, Shahidul Islam, filed a case with Kafrul Police Station, initiating a lengthy investigation and subsequent trial.
Verdict and sentences
After examining witness testimony from nine individuals and reviewing the evidence presented, the tribunal found three accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
- Al Amin Gharami and Masud Rana were sentenced to life imprisonment.
- Saiful Islam, also known as Chhoto Saiful, was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In addition to imprisonment, each convicted person was fined 100,000 taka. In default of payment, they will have to serve an additional one year of simple imprisonment.
At the time of the verdict, Masud Rana was present in court and was immediately taken into custody and sent to prison. The other two convicted individuals remain absconding, and arrest warrants have been issued against them.
Two additional accused, Md Abdul Motaleb (also known as Mota) and Amirul Islam (also known as Rubel), were acquitted as the tribunal found that the charges against them could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Summary of the judgement
| Category |
Details |
| Victim |
Mohammad Shafiqur Islam (Milon), 11 years old |
| Incident location |
Kafrul, Dhaka |
| Date of abduction |
6 March 2008 |
| Alleged motive |
Ransom demand of 200,000 taka |
| Method of murder |
Strangulation |
| Disposal of body |
River in Savar |
| Court |
Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal–4 |
| Judge |
Munshi M. Moshinur Rahman |
| Convicted |
3 individuals |
| Life imprisonment |
2 accused |
| 14-year sentence |
1 accused |
| Fine |
100,000 taka each |
The ruling brings partial closure to a case that has remained pending in the judicial system for nearly two decades, highlighting both the prolonged nature of criminal proceedings and the severity of crimes involving child abduction and murder.
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