Ex-DCC commissioner, four others to die

A Dhaka Court yesterday sentenced five people, including a former ward commissioner of Dhaka City Corporation, to death for killing Dhanmondi Sporting Club President Khairul Anwar Piaru in 2004.
The convicts are Amzad Hossain Mian, former DCC ward commissioner, his brother Emran Hossain and their associates Saidul Islam alias Hannan, Fazlur Rahman alias Bullet Babul and Noor Alam.
Of them, Hannan and Babul are in jail custody while three others are absconding.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Azizul Haque handed down the verdict at a packed courtroom.
The verdict said punishment to the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender.
During the trial the court recorded statements of 24 prosecution witnesses.
The criminals sprayed bullets on Piaru outside the club at around 10:00pm on February 29 in 2004. Two policemen were also shot during the shootout between the escaping assassins and police.
Piaru, who was also a senior vice-president of Bangladesh Football Federation, was shot in his head and shoulder as a gang of six, hiding in the shadow of the club building, ambushed him as he came out of the club with Ansar Commander Shamsul Alam to check a leak in a water tank. Shamsul Alam was also wounded.
Piaru captained the Brothers Union in 1975 as a national footballer and was also secretary of the Metropolitan Clubs' Samity.
Intelligence sources said Amzad and other convicts killed Piaru for his stand against illegal activities inside the club.