Restaurateur, manager jailed for serving meat of dead cows

This is the first time a court gave punishment for such offence in the city.

Judge Mohammad Humayun Kabir of the Metropolitan Special Tribunal-8 handed down the sentence in presence of the convicts.

The convicts are Mohammad Mohsin, owner of Zakir Hotel at Mirbagh of the city's Ramna area, and his manager Mohammad Solaiman.

The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each, in default, they will have to serve one year more in prison.

The judge said the convicts had committed the heinous crime to gain more profit. Moreover, they committed the crime during the holy month of Ramadan which hurt the religious sentiment of the Muslims. They were convicted to restrain others from committing such crimes, the judge added.

The prosecution and the defence had completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of seven prosecution witnesses.

A team led by Sub-inspector Abdul Latif Miah of Ramna Police Station raided Zakir Hotel and seized a huge quantity of dead cow flesh on October 30, 2004. They also arrested the owner and manager. A case under the Special Powers Act was filed against them on the same day.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Amir Hossain appeared for the state while Advocate Zahurul Amin defended the accused.