A man has been sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment by a Manikganj court for the double murder of his sister-in-law and young nephew following an extra-marital dispute in Saturia Upazila.
Judge SKM Tofael Hasan of the Manikganj District and Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict on Tuesday afternoon, sentencing 34-year-old Solaiman Hossain. The ruling concludes a judicial process stemming from an incident that shocked the local community over six years ago.
According to court filings and the police charge sheet, the tragedy took place in January 2020 in Uttar Kaunnara village under Saturia Upazila. Solaiman had engaged in an extra-marital relationship with his sister-in-law, Parveen. The situation deteriorated when Parveen began pressuring Solaiman to marry her. Solaiman’s refusal led to intense disputes between the two.
During a confrontation at the family home, Solaiman attacked Parveen with a knife, stabbing her fatally. The assault was witnessed by Parveen’s young son, Abdun Noor, who was also Solaiman’s nephew. To eliminate any witnesses to the crime, Solaiman turned the knife on the young boy, hacking him to death before fleeing the scene.
Police arrested Solaiman shortly after the bodies were discovered. During custodial interrogation and subsequent court appearances, the accused recorded a formal confession under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, detailing his involvement in the killings. After reviewing witness testimony, forensic evidence, and police documentation over several years, the court found Solaiman guilty of homicide.
The verdict has met with sharp criticism from both prosecution and defence teams, each announcing plans to challenge the sentence in the High Court Division.
Public Prosecutor AFM Nurtaj Alam Bahar expressed strong dissatisfaction with the length of the sentence given the severity of the crime. He argued that ten years of imprisonment for taking two human lives, including that of a child, remains entirely inadequate. The prosecution confirmed that an appeal will be lodged with the higher court to seek a harsher penalty.
Conversely, defence counsel Mahbubul Islam contended that the prosecution’s case was fundamentally flawed due to police investigative errors. He pointed out that the murder weapon was never properly presented in court following forensic examination. Asserting that his client was denied a fair trial, the defence counsel affirmed that an appeal seeking full acquittal would be filed promptly.
