A court in Mymensingh has sentenced three brothers to death and handed down life sentences to ten others over the brutal murder of Shafiqul Islam Sabir, which stemmed from a long-standing land dispute in Nandail upazila.
Judge Shamsuddin Ahmed of the Additional Sessions Judge Court-1 delivered the verdict on Wednesday afternoon, 7 October 2026.
The three convicts handed the death penalty are brothers Mozammel Haq Swapan, Md Apon Miah, and Ripon Miah alias Jibu, all sons of Abu Bakar Siddique from Char Bhelamari village in Char Betagair Union, Nandail.
The court also sentenced ten co-defendants to life imprisonment. These individuals were identified as Abu Bakar Siddique, Kanchan Miah, Rubel, Parvez, Mofazzal Hossain, Kashid, Al-Amin, Suman Miah, Noyon Miah, and Asadul. Alongside their prison terms, each of the ten convicts sentenced to life must pay a fine of 50,000 taka, or serve an additional year of rigorous imprisonment in default.
Out of the thirteen accused individuals, twelve were present in the dock when the court announced the verdict. One of the brothers sentenced to capital punishment, Ripon Miah, remains absconding.
According to the case dossier, the fatal altercation took place on the evening of 25 February 2015. The victim, Shafiqul Islam Sabir, son of Hazrat Ali, was sitting inside a clothing shop near the eastern bank of the Char Bhelamari Chowrasta ferry ghat. An armed group ambushed him inside the shop following a prolonged dispute regarding agricultural land. The assailants hacked Sabir repeatedly with sharp weapons, leaving him fatally wounded on the floor before fleeing the scene.
Local residents rushed to assist Sabir, but he succumbed to severe blood loss at the scene. The victim’s family lodged a murder case at Nandail Police Station the following day, on 26 February 2015, prompting formal police investigations and subsequent charges against the group.
Public Prosecutor Soumendra Kishore Chowdhury stated that the tribunal reached its verdict after examining sixteen prosecution witnesses and completing extensive arguments from both sides.
Defence lawyer Anwarul Aziz Tutul expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment, maintaining that his clients were denied justice and confirming plans to appeal against the convictions in the High Court Division shortly.
