HC upholds death for two

The High Court yesterday upheld the death sentence of two people for the gruesome killing of Rajshahi University (RU) teacher Dr S Taher Ahmed in 2006.
The two are RU teacher Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and caretaker at Taher's residence Jahangir Alam.
Prof Taher of geology and mining was killed on February 1, 2006 at the age of 59, and police recovered his body from a septic tank well behind his campus residence on February 3.
Yesterday, the HC, however, commuted the death sentence of two other convicts to life term imprisonment. These two are Jahangir's brother Abdus Salam and brother-in-law Nazmul.
On May 22, 2008, Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal convicted and sentenced the four to death in this sensational murder case.
The tribunal also acquitted two accused -- former RU Islami Chhatra Shibir president Mahbubul Alam Salehi, a suspected mastermind of the killing, and Jahangir's father Azimuddin Munshi.
The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo yesterday delivered the verdict after holding hearing on separate appeals filed by the four.
The four are now in jail, their lawyer Tajul Islam told The Daily Star, adding that they would move appeals to the SC against the HC verdict.