6 JCD men to die, 11 get life

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 handed down the sentence in presence of the nine convicts while ten others were tried in absentia.

The convicts with death are Mohammad Ali, Jewel alias Zahidul Haq, Tipu, Shahin, Abul Bashar alias Badsha and Akhter Hossain alias Akhter.

Of them, Badsha and Akhter were present in the court during the delivery of the judgement while four others were tried in absentia.

The lifers, also JCD leaders and activists, are Syed Hossain, Abdur Rob alias Rouf, Ayub Hossain, Aslam Bhuiyan, Akhter Hossain alias Esdu, Mukul alias Makbul Hossain, Mobarak Hossain, Kamal, Jalil Miah, Zahirul Islam and Jahangir.

Of them, Syed Hossain, Rouf, Ayub, Aslam, Esdu and Mukul were present in the court while five others are absconding.

The court acquitted Nur Mohammad and Abdul Hye as the charges brought against them were not proved.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender and the convicts with death can appeal to the High Court against the verdict within 30 days from the day of receipt of the judgement copy, the judge said.

Victim's father Mafizuddin Bhuiyan, mother Faizu Akhter and his wife Shahnaz Begum were present at the court and broke down in tears hearing the verdict. They also expressed their satisfaction over the verdict on the murder.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 37 prosecution witnesses.

According to the prosecution, over previous enmity a group of JCD leaders and activists shot Shafiqul Islam, vice-president of Rupganj thana JCD, dead at about 9:30pm on November 8 last year as he came out of his party office at Bhulta under Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj.

Later, his father filed a murder case against 19 people with Rupganj Police Station the following day.

Victim's father mentioned in the FIR that marriage of his only son was taken place on a helicopter.