A court in Sunamganj has sentenced Jitesh Chandra Gop to death for murdering Shahnaz Parvin Jyotsna, the wife of an expatriate, inside a pharmacy in Jagannathpur and cutting her body into six pieces. He has also been fined Tk 100,000.
In a separate sentence for attempting to conceal the body, the court awarded him seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed an additional fine of Tk 50,000.
Sunamganj District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Habibullah delivered the verdict on Tuesday afternoon. Jitesh, the son of Jadav Chandra Gop, is a resident of Itna upazila in Kishoreganj district.
The court stated in its order that the death sentence must be referred to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court for confirmation before it can be carried out. The sentence cannot be executed without the High Court’s approval. The court also directed that Jitesh be kept in the designated cell of the prison pending the required legal proceedings.
According to the case details, Jitesh operated a pharmacy in a market in Jagannathpur upazila headquarters in Sunamganj. In February 2022, Shahnaz Parvin Jyotsna was murdered inside the pharmacy. Her body was subsequently cut into six pieces, a development that caused widespread shock in the area.
The investigation and subsequent trial addressed both the murder and the attempt to conceal the victim’s remains. The court imposed separate penalties for the two offences, sentencing Jitesh to death and fining him Tk 100,000 for the murder, alongside seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a further fine of Tk 50,000 for attempting to conceal the body.
Under Bangladesh’s judicial procedure, a death sentence handed down by a lower court requires confirmation by the High Court Division before it can be executed. The legal process must therefore be completed before the capital punishment can be carried out.
The verdict marks a significant development in the case, which drew considerable attention following the brutal killing in Jagannathpur. The next stage will depend on the completion of the prescribed legal formalities, including the High Court’s review of the death sentence.
