HC upholds death penalty of 2 in Lalbagh 7-murder case

The High Court today upheld a lower court verdict that had sentenced two people to death and 10 others to different terms of imprisonment for killing seven people in Lalbagh of the capital 20 years back.

According to the case statement, some criminals allegedly led by a former Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) ward commissioner Abdul Aziz opened fire on the victory procession of his rival Humayun Kabir at Lalbagh in Old Dhaka at about 10:30am on January 31, 1994. Humayun won the DCC election as the commissioner of ward no 59.

Delwar, Gazi, Nazrul, Anwar, Hafiz, Aziz and Shah Alam were killed and several others injured in the gun attack.

The HC bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque pronounced the judgement today following appeals filed by the convicts challenging the lower court verdict.

On May 7 in 2008, a Dhaka court sentenced two persons to death, nine others to 43 years' rigorous imprisonment each and a former DCC ward commissioner to 13 years in jail for the murders.

The two condemned convicts are Abdus Salam alias Moti and Zahid Hossain alias Natka Babu.

Abdul Alim alias Shaheen, Monir Patwary, Munna, Kalu alias Kailla, Delwar Hossain alias Aunda, Deel Mohammad alias Moti, Mahatab Hossain, Mozammel Hossain and Amir Hossain were given 43 years' in jail each.

Former DCC ward commissioner Abdul Aziz were jailed for 13 years’ imprisonment.

The HC also ordered Monir, Mahtab and Abdul Aziz, now on bail, to surrender before a trial court in 30 days after getting the copy of the judgement.

All the convicts other than Deel and Mozammel, who are on the run, filed appeals with the HC in 2008 and 2009 seeking acquittal from the charges.