3 to die, 4 handed life term
Rajshahi’s speedy trial tribunal yesterday gave death penalty to three persons -- including a local Awami League leader -- in connection with the sensational 2014 double murder of a mother and son in Bagmara upazila.
Tribunal judge Anup Kumar also handed life term imprisonment to four other accused in the case, the tribunal’s public prosecutor Entajul Haque said.
The tribunal convicted Abul Hossain for orchestrating the murders, in order to misappropriate the victims’ property.
Hossain, 52, who got the capital punishment, was the organising secretary of Bagmara upazila unit of Awami League and headmaster of Deula Rani Riverview High School. He is a brother-in-law of the victim woman, Haque said.
Two other death row convicts are Habibur Rahman, 40, a drug peddler; and Abdur Razzak, 37, a dismissed member of Border Guards Bangladesh of Durgapur upazila. Habibur and Razzak maintained a team of touts to orchestrate criminal activities, and they helped Hossain commit the murder, Haque said.
Four others who got life term are Rustom Ali, 26; Ruhul Amin, 30; Monirul Islam, 23; and Abdulahil Kafi, 22 -- who were hired to provide weapons and safeguard the killers.
On the night of November 24, 2014, Aklima Begum and his son Zahid Hasan were killed at their home in Deula village of Bagmara upazila. Police recovered their slit-throat bodies the following morning.
Aklima’s elder son Dulal Hossain filed a murder case with Bagmara Police Station, accusing unnamed persons.
Investigation of the case took various turns at different times. The district’s detective branch at one point arrested a BNP leader, blaming him for the murder.
Finally, the police headquarters deployed the Police Bureau of Investigations, who uncovered the mystery behind the case.
On May 31, 2018, PBI inspector Alamgir Hossain pressed charges against seven persons accusing them for the murder. Among the seven accused, three -- Abdur Razzak, Abdullahil Kafi and Monirul Islam -- gave judicial confessions in the case.
The public prosecutor said the PBI revealed that Abul Hossain used to look after the property of Aklima and her son Zahid since his brother’s death. In 2013, when Zahid completed his education and demanded control of his father’s property, Hossain became angry. He discussed the matter with Habibur and Razzak, and they planned the murder sitting at Habibur’s office in Bagmara.
Habibur wanted to engage Aklima in his drug trade, and was upset at her denial.
Hossain slaughtered the victims with the help of Habibur and Razzak while others abetted them, on that fateful night.
Complainant of the case Dulal Hossain expressed satisfaction in the verdict and demanded its immediate execution.
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