A court in Manikganj has sentenced five people to death for the killing of three men in Singair, while eight others have been handed life imprisonment in the same case. Seven defendants received prison sentences of varying terms, and four were acquitted after the charges against them were not proved.
The verdict was delivered at around 12.30pm on Thursday (5 November) by Judge SKM Tofayel Hasan of the Manikganj District and Sessions Judge’s Court. All the accused were present when the judgement was announced.
The court’s Public Prosecutor, AFM Nurtaj Alam Bahar, confirmed the verdict.
The five defendants sentenced to death are Md Zia Uddin, Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Abdur Rashid, Jasim and Siddik Mia. Each was also fined Tk 20,000, with an additional four months of simple imprisonment in the event of non-payment.
The eight people sentenced to life imprisonment are Md Zahir Uddin, Azizul, Ujjal, Md Shamsul Haque, Salauddin, Mazed Mia, Md Maran and Swapan. Each has also been ordered to pay a fine of Tk 20,000.
The court sentenced Shamim and Habu Mia to five years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on each of them. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two months of simple imprisonment.
Among the other defendants, Majnu Mia received one year’s rigorous imprisonment. Rajia Khatun and Sufia Khatun were sentenced to six months each, while Sahera and Khatuni received three-month prison terms.
The four people acquitted in the case are Ujjal, Oli Ahad, Shukur Jola and Raja Jola.
Inheritance dispute preceded the killings
According to the case documents, the incident originated from a dispute over the property and money left behind by a woman named Hasina, who had been living in Bahrain. As she had neither a husband nor children, disagreements emerged among her siblings over the ownership and possession of her assets following her death.
The prosecution alleged that Hasina’s sister, Rajia Khatun, along with her husband and sons, took control of the property and money. Several local arbitration meetings were subsequently held in an effort to resolve the disagreement, but the dispute remained unsettled.
A further arbitration meeting was scheduled for 10am on 21 February. However, the violence occurred before the meeting could take place.
According to the allegations presented in the case, at around 7.45am that day, Jasim called his maternal uncles, Tendul Molla, Karim Molla and Aziz Molla, to the house of Shamsul Haque. When the three men arrived, Jasim and other accused allegedly attacked them on the instructions of Rajia Khatun.
The attackers were accused of using machetes, spears, iron rods and bamboo sticks. All three victims sustained serious injuries. Aziz Molla, Tendul Molla and Karim Molla subsequently died.
The incident led to a murder case being filed at Singair Police Station on 22 February 2016 by Md Farida Akter.
Investigation and trial
Following an investigation, Aminul Islam, an inspector of Singair Police Station, submitted a charge sheet to the court on 28 April 2017, naming 24 people as accused.
During the trial, the court recorded statements from 21 witnesses. After considering the evidence presented in the proceedings, the judge delivered the verdict on Thursday.
The ruling brings a significant development in a case involving three deaths arising from a long-running family dispute over inheritance. While five defendants received the death penalty and eight were sentenced to life imprisonment, the court imposed shorter prison terms on seven others and acquitted four defendants.
The verdict marks the culmination of a lengthy judicial process that began with the filing of the murder case in February 2016.
