12 get death penalty for 2 murders

A Chittagong court yesterday awarded death penalty to six people for killing Krishak League leader Oli Ullah in Chandpur in 2014.

Besides, a Gazipur court yesterday sentenced six people to death and three others to life term imprisonment for killing a schoolboy in 2001.

The six convicts in Chittagong are Md Abdul Hamid, Md Mehedi Hasan alias Shakil, Md Gourob, Md Harun Mridha, Md Abdul Kader Mridha and Nazmul Hasan alias Sharfin. The convicts were also fined Tk 5,000 each.

All six men are fugitives at the moment, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

The court also acquitted four other accused -- Md Aktar Hossain, Md Muazzem Hossain, Abu Taher and Md Jakir Hossain -- as the allegations brought against them were not proved, said court sources. Of them, Abu Taher is still in jail custody.

Fifteen witnesses testified in the trial before the Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury pronounced the verdict, prosecution lawyer Litan Ranjan Das said.

According to prosecution, the killing followed a long standing rivalry over land between the families of Krishak League Kachua unit's president Oli Ullah and his cousins Abdul Hamid and Harun Mridha. Many had tried and settle these disagreements between the two families and failed.

On July 29 in 2014 around 10:00pm, Oli Ullah was hacked to death on the road near west side of the residence of one Nurul Islam Gazi in Shankarpur village in Kachua.

Following the day, deceased's wife Joynab Begum lodged a case with Kachua Police Station accusing ten people in this connection.

After investigation, police submitted the charge sheet on March 31, 2015, while the charge was framed on January 6, 2016.

Complainant Joynab Begum talking to the media at Chittagong court building premises expressed her satisfaction over the verdict. “Now I want to see quick execution of the verdict”, she added.

Abu Taher, who was acquitted in the verdict, said he had no connection with the killing.

“Police did not arrest me. The family of the complainant handed me over to police station after picking me up from my house. And I have been in a jail for around 11 months”, Taher said.

6 TO DIE FOR KILLING GAZIPUR SCHOOLBOY

A Gazipur court yesterday sentenced six people to death and three others to life term imprisonment for killing a schoolboy in 2001, reports UNB.

The condemned convicts -- Rafiqul Islam, Atiqul Islam, Atique Sheikh, Selim Sheikh, Anwar Hossain Sheikh and Nayan Sheikh of Ghagtia village in Kapasia upazila -- were also fined Tk 5,000 each.

The lifers are Anwara Begum, Abdul Motaleb and Samsuddin of the village.

According to the prosecution, Sanaullah Sarkar, 19, an SSC examinee and son of Jashim Uddin of the village had developed a love affair with the daughter of Anwara Begum, and both families had been at loggerheads over the issue.

As a sequel to the enmity, the convicts strangled Sanaullah on February 9, 2001. Asaduzzaman, victim's brother, filed a case against 12 people the following day.