HC confirms death for five convicts

The High Court yesterday confirmed death penalties of five convicts for killing Gazipur's Jubo League leader Jalal Uddin Sarkar more than 17 years ago.

At the same time, the HC commuted death sentences of five other convicts to life imprisonment and acquitted another accused in the murder case.

Jalal Uddin, then Jubo League president of Kapasia upazila unit in Gazipur, was hacked to death in Balkhela Bazar area on August 17, 2003 following a political dispute.

On November 30 in 2015, a Gazipur court sentenced 11 people to death in connection with the murder case.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md Akhtaruzzaman delivered the verdict after hearing the death reference and appeals of the convicts challenging the trial court verdict.

The five convicts, whose death penalties were confirmed by the HC are Joj Mia, Al Amin, Faruque Hossain, Md Belayet Hossain Baltu and Md Abdul Alim.

Joj Mia and Al Amin are absconding while Faruque, Belayet and Alim are in a condemn cell, Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed told The Daily Star.

He said the HC bench confirmed their death penalty as their direct involvement in the killing has been proved.

DAG Bashir said the HC commuted the five convicts' death penalties as they did not directly hit Jalal although they participated in the killing.

He also confirmed the other five convicts whose death penalties have been commuted to life imprisonment are Farhad Hossain, Md Ataur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Halim Fakir and Jewel.

Among them Farhad and Ataur are in jail while Mahbubur, Halim and Jewel are absconding, he said.

The HC has acquitted Md Jaynal Abedin, who is now in jail, as his involvement in the murder was not proved, DAG Bashir added.