A district court in Khulna has sentenced three men to death over the murder of a local grocer following a land dispute in Batiaghata Upazila. Judge Md Khurshid Alam of the Khulna Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-4 pronounced the verdict on Monday, 27 July 2026. The court acquitted a fourth accused after prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the crime.
The convicts facing capital punishment are Abdus Salam and his two sons, Md Khurshid Alam, 35, and Md Khairul Sheikh, 28. All three were present in the dock when the judgment was delivered. The acquitted individual was identified as Ershad, son of Kala Babu from the same area.
According to court records and bench assistant Md Shah Alam, the fatal incident occurred around 8:00 am on 31 March 2018 at a local market in Jhalbari village. The altercation stemmed from a longstanding dispute over ancestral land and the construction of a shop unit. The assailants attacked the grocer, Rezaul Sheikh, striking him repeatedly with bamboo sticks and wooden planks.
Rezaul sustained severe injuries during the assault and was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where he later succumbed to his wounds.
On the evening of the attack, the victim’s younger brother, Mejbah Uddin, lodged a murder case at the local police station. The complaint named four individuals: Abdus Salam, son of Kalam Box; Salam’s two sons, Khurshid Alam and Khairul Sheikh; and Ershad.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) subsequently took over the case. Following an extensive investigation, PBI Police Inspector Md Golam Rasul submitted a formal charge sheet against the four suspects on 11 September 2019. After examining witnesses and reviewing evidence presented throughout the trial, the court handed down the capital sentence to the three primary offenders.
