Criminals Joseph, Mamun to die

A Dhaka tribunal yesterday sentenced two men to death and four to life term for killing Abu Morshed, a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader, in the city in 1995.

Police-listed criminals Tofael Ahmed alias Joseph and Tareq Saif alias Mamun are to walk the gallows, while Haris Ahmed alias Haris, Mohammad Islam alias Munna, SM Ahsanuzzaman alias Paris and Shahin Mahmud alias Shahin are to serve out their life term.

The court acquitted four others -- Tapan, Sayeed, Badal and Bidi -- as charges brought against them could not be proved conclusively.

Joseph, Mamun and Shahin were present on the dock yesterday but Haris, Munna and Paris were tried in absentia. This is the first time that a tribunal handed down death sentence to Joseph and Mamun.

The court fined the convicts with life term Tk 50,000 each and they will have to be in jail for one more year in default.

The convicts with death can appeal to the High Court against the verdict in seven days and the punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the date of their arrest or surrender, the judgement said.

Judge AR Masud of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 gave the verdict at a packed courtroom at 11:45am. He observed the victim's deposition on deathbed before a magistrate two days after he was shot points to the fact that Joseph, Haris, Munna, Mamun, Shahin and Paris shot the victim.

Moreover, Joseph is an accused in 19 cases and Mamun in three cases, including of murder and illegal possession of arms.

"So they do not deserve any sympathy. Consequently, I am inclined to award the extreme penalty of death to them," the judge observed.

Azizullah Bhuiyan, Morshed's father, said he is happy with the judgement although he expected capital punishment for all the accused.

The prosecution and defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 16 of 22 prosecution witnesses.

Morshed, 27, joint secretary of JCD's Dhaka city unit, was shot and fatally injured by an unidentified gang at the premises of the Court of District and Sessions Judge in the old part of the city at 11:00am on September 25,1995 when he went there to appear before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in a case.

He died from the wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 2,1995.

His father filed a case with Kotwali Police Station accusing Joseph, Haris, Munna, Paris, Sayeed, Tapan, Shahin, Badal and Bidi on September 25, 1995.

The investigation officer of the case however pressed charges against 10 including Mamun on March 11,1997 showing 22 people as prosecution witnesses. The court framed charges against them on October 4,1999. The case was transferred to the tribunal on August 14 last year for quick disposal and the trial was complete in 103 working days.