The Court of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) also sentenced Dulu's cousin Atikur Rahman to eight years in jail and 87 others including his brothers, cousins and nephews to rigorous imprisonment for seven years.

It fined all the convicts Tk 10,000 each, and in default ordered them to suffer one year more in jail.

The judgement delivered by ADM Rawnak Mahmud in presence of Dulu is the first in 22 cases filed against him and also the first one in the country by a magistrate's court punishing a former minister.

The convicts include Dulu's brothers Nabi Talukdar, Anisur Rahman Talukdar, Mujibar Rahman Talukdar, Rafik Talukdar, cousins Nurunnabi Talukdar, Abidur Rahman, Mujibar Rahman nephews Rentu, Belal, Helal, Bulbul, Dalim, Dollar, nephew-in-law Rahim Newaz and Natore municipal ward commissioners Sadrul Huda Dambel, Sohag and Nasim Khan.

The other convicts include former president of Jatiyatadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Natore unit Dewan Shahin, secretary Mostafizur Rahman Shahin, BNP workers Mintu, Ratan, Hazrat, Shafi 'gunman', Shanti Mastar, Mamun, Razzak, Kuddus, Alamgir, Hafizul, Majibur, Azizul, Jalal, Aziz, Rahim Bux, Golap, Kalu, Kausar, Tofazzal 'Rajakar' and Saiful.

The court acquitted five accused in the case including district Jubo Dal General Secretary Babul Chowdhury, Rupchand, Mohsin, Majnu and Jubayer.

ADM Rawnak Mahmud read out order portion of the 53-page judgement amid tight security and in presence of 28 of the 94 accused including Dulu.

JUDGEMENT
In the verdict, Dulu and Atikur were sentenced to five years in prison for arson, one year for causing damage and for looting, one year for rioting with deadly weapons and one year for directly guiding and abetting the crimes.

The other accused were given five years' jail term for arson, one year for damage and for looting, and one year for rioting with deadly weapons.

CASE
Jatiya Chhatra Samaj Natore district unit President Asaduzzaman Shah had filed the case with Naldanga police station (PS) on February 25 accusing 105 people.

On May 3, Officer-in-Charge of Naldanga PS Arman Hossain submitted two charge sheets -- one for arson and looting and another under explosives act-- accusing 94 people.

Later, the charge sheets were sent to the ADM's court and the district judge's court. Charges were framed at the ADM's court on June 27.

According to charges, accused persons launched a series of attacks in Ramsa Kazipur (Dulu's home village), Shahpara and Amtali Bazar villages following Dulu's (then state minister) orders for retaliating the murder of his nephew Sabbir Ahmed Gama on February 7 in 2004.

Dulu rushed to the village following the murder and started torching Asaduzzaman's house. He carried gunpowder in government vehicle and himself supplied it to the arsonists.

In a couple of days, some 37 houses and shops were torched by using gunpowder and belongings were looted and damaged.

Dulu's armed cadres unleashed a reign of terror in the areas exploding bombs and firing shots, the charges said.

REACTION
Complainant Asaduzzaman expressed his joy over the judgement. "When the incident occurred, I believed my life is also threatened. And I thought I would not get justice ever."

He said all the affected people are somehow linked with the Awami League and, Dulu acted against them with a political motive. "Dulu tried to progress and sustain in politics by killing his rivals".

Public Prosecutor Abdul Kader and assistant PP Shamsul Haq Bhuiyan expressed satisfaction at the verdict. Depositions of all the 26 witnesses corroborated each other and proved allegations against the accused without any doubt, they said.

Defence lawyers Shakhawat Hossain and Mozammel Hossain said they would appeal to higher court against the verdict. Most of the witnesses are relatives of the complainant and they have political rivalry with Dulu, the lawyers said.

Moreover, the complainant and witnesses are convicts in Gama murder case. So, they made false depositions, the defence said.