12 get death for killing student

A court here yesterday sentenced 12 people to death for murdering a college student Robiul Islam Rajan, 24, over a land dispute in Bhuapur upazila in 2014.

Judge Waheduzzaman Shikder of District Special and Session Judge's Court in Tangail delivered the verdict around 11:30am.

The convicts are Mozid, 45, Abdul Mazid, 35, Saidul, 20, Maznu, 20, Momin, 27, Nizam Pramanik, 55, Abu Bakar Siddique Tunu, 60, Hanu, 30, Nurul Islam, 30, Babu, 30, Siraj Pramanik, 55 and Wahab, 50.

Of them, Mozid, Abdul Mazid, Maznu and Nurul Islam were tried in absentia.

According to prosecution, following a previous enmity over land the convicts stormed into the house of Lal Miah Sarkar of Bhalkuthia village under Govindashi union in Bhuapur upazila on the morning on April 13, 2014 and hacked his son Rajan with sharp weapons.

The seriously injured Rajan, an honours second year student of local Ibrahim Khan College, was rushed to the Bhuapur Upazila Health Complex. He succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon while being transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Rajan's father Lal Miah Sarkar filed a murder case with Bhuapur Police Station accusing 19 people in this regard.

After investigation, Investigation Officer (IO) of the case Obaidur Rahman, a sub-inspector of Bhuapur Police Station, submitted a charge sheet to the court on July 15, 2014 against 12 of the accused.

The court later took witness statements from 12 people in the case.

Advocate Multan Uddin, special public prosecutor (PP) in Tangail, appeared for the state while advocate Shamimul Akter defended the accused.

The Special PP said the learned judge sentenced all 12 accused of the case as charges brought against them were proved without any doubt as per witness statements' and other proofs provided.

Rajan's mother Shahida Begum after hearing the verdict said, "I have got justice. The people who killed my only son got the right punishment".

She demanded immediate execution of the verdict.