First Additional District and Sessions Judge Rezaul Karim pronounced the verdict at around 4:00pm in businessman Jane Alam murder case. The businessman was murdered at Amirabad in Lohagara upazila in 2002.

Those awarded death penalty are Jahirul Islam, Shamsul Alam, Nazimuddin, Abul Kashem, Alamgir, Yusuf, Jashim Uddin, Nasiruddin, Abdul Malek, Ayub Ali, Syed Ahmad and Kalim Ullah.

The lifers are Nur Jahan Begum, Saheda Begum, Safia Akhter, Anwara Begum, Yasmin Begum, Taslima Akhter, Razia Begum and Raju Begum.

Of them, Anwara Begum, Razia Begum and Yasmin Begum were arrested in the courtroom immediately after the verdict.

The court, however, acquitted an accused named Nurul Alam of the murder charge.

According to the prosecution, the accused hacked Jane Alam to death near his house at Amirabad in Lohagara upazila on March 30, 2002, while he was coming to the port city by a CNG-run autorickshaw.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Udayan Chakma of Lohagara Police Station filed a case on the day. The charge sheet in the case was submitted to the court on September 5 in 2002 and charges were framed on June 9 in 2004.

A total of 17 witnesses were examined during the trial of the case.