Six Convicted in 22-Year-Old Murder Case of BNP Official

A special court in Dhaka has concluded a lengthy judicial process spanning over two decades, sentencing six individuals to life imprisonment for the murder of Naeem Shikder Bindu. The verdict was delivered on Sunday, 3 May 2026, by Judge Zakaria Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-6. The case, which originated in the Shyampur area of the capital, underscores the complexities of long-term criminal litigation within the Bangladeshi legal system.

Judicial Findings and Sentencing

The court found six defendants guilty of the 2004 killing. The convicted individuals have been identified as:

1. Shamim Hossain Shikder

2. Shahidul Islam (also known as Thotkata Ripon)

3. Shahid (alias Driver Shahid, now deceased)

4. Shahid Hossain (alias Senchu)

5. Dulal (alias Kala Dulal or Zakir Hossain)

6. Aminul Islam

According to Fakir Zahidul Islam, the Senior Bench Assistant of the court, each of the convicts has been ordered to pay a financial penalty of 20,000 BDT. Failure to pay this fine will result in an additional year of simple imprisonment.

A notable aspect of this ruling is the inclusion of the deceased defendant, Shahid (Driver Shahid), in the sentencing. Addressing the procedural rationale, the Bench Assistant noted that the presiding judge maintains a policy of delivering a verdict regardless of a defendant’s demise if their guilt was established during the trial proceedings. Of the six convicts, only Aminul Islam was present in the dock to hear the verdict; the court subsequently issued a conviction warrant and dispatched him to prison. The remaining five convicts, who are currently absconding, face both conviction warrants and fresh arrest warrants.

The Circumstances of the 2004 Homicide

The roots of the homicide trace back to a protracted dispute involving municipal commissioner elections. The victim, Naeem Shikder Bindu, a local political figure associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), had been embroiled in a conflict with the accused for a considerable period. Documentation suggests that Naeem had received multiple death threats from the group prior to the fatal encounter.

The murder occurred on 16 November 2004, at approximately 7:15 pm. Naeem was targeted in front of “Golden Hair Dressers” located at 213 Kalimullah Bagh Bottola in Shyampur. The assailants discharged several rounds of gunfire, resulting in Naeem’s immediate death. On the following day, the victim’s wife, Sabina Yasmin, filed a formal complaint at Kadamtali Police Station naming eleven suspects.

Procedural History and Investigative Transfers

The investigation into Naeem’s murder underwent several transitions due to early stagnation. The local police initially handled the case, but a lack of progress in identifying the perpetrators or securing evidence led to the transfer of the investigation to the Detective Branch (DB) of the police.

While the DB investigation corroborated the fact of the murder, investigators struggled to obtain sufficient testimonial or forensic evidence against the specific individuals named in the First Information Report (FIR). Consequently, the DB submitted a final report to the court. Sabina Yasmin, the complainant, rejected this outcome and filed a ‘Naraji’ (no-confidence) petition against the DB’s findings. This prompted a further transfer of the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The CID’s involvement led to a breakthrough. On 29 September 2010, Inspector Manjurul Rahman Bhuiyan of the CID submitted a formal charge sheet. Four years later, on 30 October 2014, the court framed charges against the accused, marking the official commencement of the trial.

Trial Proceedings and Verdict

Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented 18 witnesses before the court to substantiate the allegations. The judicial process was hindered by the fact that most of the defendants remained fugitives, preventing them from participating in their own defence or providing statements during the self-defence hearing.

The sole defendant present, Aminul Islam, pleaded not guilty during his self-defence statement and requested the court for an acquittal. However, following the presentation of arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, Judge Zakaria Hossain determined that the evidence was sufficient to warrant life sentences for the six primary accused.

This verdict brings a degree of closure to a case that has remained active for twenty-two years, navigating various investigative agencies and decades of legal manoeuvres. The focus now shifts to the law enforcement agencies tasked with executing the arrest warrants for the five fugitives who remain at large.