Five Sentenced to Life for Student Murder

Five individuals have been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for the murder of student Imran Hossain in Manikganj Sadar Upazila. Judge Motasim Billah of the Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-1 delivered the verdict at approximately 3:30 pm on Sunday, 26 April.

In addition to the life sentences, the court imposed a fine of 20,000 BDT on each convict. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three months of imprisonment. The ruling was confirmed to the media by the Additional Public Prosecutor, Bulbul Ahmed Golap.

Details of the Convicted and Acquitted

The court identified five individuals as responsible for the premeditated killing. While three were present during the sentencing, two remain at large. One individual, Nuru Bhuiyan, was acquitted of all charges due to a lack of evidence.

Incident Background and Sequence of Events

The murder occurred on the night of 14 May 2011. According to court records, the conflict began the previous day when Golamur Rahman Selim visited Imran’s residence and requested his sister’s mobile phone number.

On the following night, at approximately 9:20 pm, Sakib Biswas and Bulbul Ahmed arrived at Imran’s home and called him outside. Under the leadership of Selim, the group escorted Imran to a bridge located near Kalam Molla’s shop in Ramanpur village. At this location, the assailants carried out a premeditated attack using sharp weapons, inflicting fatal injuries to the back of Imran’s head and his scalp. The attackers fled the scene immediately after.

The body was discovered by Saleha Islam, the then Female Vice Chairman of the Sadar Upazila, who was passing the area. Upon her notification, locals recovered Imran and transported him to a hospital, where attending physicians pronounced him dead.

Investigation and Judicial Process

The police investigation revealed that the murder was the culmination of a long-standing dispute. Approximately six months prior to the incident, Imran had been involved in a physical altercation with his neighbour, Abdullah Al Matin Babu, over a trivial matter. Although the issue was reportedly resolved through a traditional village arbitration (Salish), the resentment persisted and served as the motive for the planned assassination.

Following the murder, the victim’s father, Mohammad Habibur Rahman Master, filed a formal case at Manikganj Sadar Police Station on 15 May 2011. The judicial proceedings spanned several years, during which the court recorded the testimonies of 26 witnesses. Following the completion of the trial and the examination of forensic and circumstantial evidence, the court found the five primary accused guilty of murder.