4 to die, 3 get life term for murders

Four people were sentenced to death and three others to life term imprisonment yesterday for killing a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activist and a madrasa boy in Joypurhat and Natore.

 A Natore court handed down death penalty to four people and life term imprisonment to another for killing a BCL activist in 2002, reports our correspondent.

Sukur Hossain, son of Abdul Khalek, Abdul Matin, son of Abdul Malek, and Shamim Hossain, son of Shahidul Islam, and Shamim's brother Sujon Hossain were awarded death penalty while Shanta Mia, son of Foyez Uddin, got life term imprisonment. The convicts hail from Bahadurpur village in Lalpur upazila.

Of them, Sujon, Matin and Shanta were tried in absentia.

According to the prosecution, some BNP activists shot and hacked Moazzem Hossain, an activist of the upazila unit of BCL, on February 28 in 2002. He died on the spot.

Later, the victim's father filed a case with Lalpur Police Station, accusing 22 people.

After investigation, police later submitted a charge sheet against 18 people before the court.

After examining witnesses and evidence, Additional District Judge Mohammad Saifur Rahman Siddik found the five guilty and pronounced the verdict.

Thirteen other accused were acquitted from the case as charges brought against them could not be proved.  

A Joypurhat court sentenced two men to life term imprisonment for killing a madrasa boy in 2007, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

The lifers are Nur Alam of Araji village in Joypurhat Sadar upazila and Mahbub Alam of Dogachhi village in Naogaon's Badalgachhi upazila.

Judge ABM Mahmudul Haq of Women and Children Repression Prevention Court also fined them Tk 10,000 each. In default, they are to suffer another three months in jail.

According to the prosecution, Nurnabi, a Class V student of Dholahar Madrasa in Sadar upazila, went missing on November 2 in 2007. Police recovered his body the following day.

Later, his father Ayaz Uddin filed a murder case with Joypurhat Sadar Police Station, accusing Nur Alam and Mahbub Alam.