Five Sentenced to Death, Eight to Life in Manikganj Singair Triple Murder Case
A court has sentenced five people to death in the case over the killing of three people in Singair upazila of Manikganj. Alongside them, eight people have been given life imprisonment and seven others prison terms of varying lengths.
District and Sessions Judge S K M Tofayel Hasan announced the verdict in the presence of all the accused at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday (November 5).
The court's public prosecutor, Advocate Nurtaj Alam Bahar, confirmed the information.
Those sentenced to death are Md. Ziar Uddin, Mohammad Jahidul Islam, Abdur Rashid, Jasim and Siddique Mia.
The eight given life imprisonment are Md. Zahir Uddin, Azizul, Ujjal, Md. Shamsul Haque, Salauddin, Majed Mia, Md. Maran and Swapan.
Court sources said each of those sentenced to death and to life imprisonment was also fined Tk 20,000.
In addition, Shamim and Habu Mia were each given five years' rigorous imprisonment and a Tk 10,000 fine, with a further two months' simple imprisonment in default. Majnu Mia was given one year's rigorous imprisonment. Razia Khatun and Sufiya Khatun were each given six months, and Sahera and Khatuni three months each, in prison.
Four people were acquitted as the charges against them were not proven. They are Ujjal, Oli Ahad, Shukur Jola and Raja Jola.
Advocate A F M Nurtaj Alam Bahar said a woman named Hasina, from Singair, lived in Bahrain. As she had no husband or children, a dispute arose among her brothers and sisters after her death over ownership of the property and money she left behind.
According to the case allegations, Hasina's sister Razia Khatun, her husband and her sons began occupying and enjoying that property and money. Although local arbitration (shalish) was held several times over this, the dispute was not resolved.
A shalish meeting to settle the dispute had been fixed for 10 a.m. on February 21, 2016. But at around 7:45 a.m. that day, Jasim called his uncles Tendul Molla, Karim Molla and Aziz Molla to Shamsul Haque's house.
According to the allegations, when they went there, Jasim and the other accused attacked them with ramda (machetes), shorki (spears), iron rods and bamboo sticks on Razia Khatun's orders. Aziz Molla, Tendul Molla and Karim Molla were seriously injured in the attack. All three later died.
The day after the incident, Md. Farida Akter filed a murder case at Singair Police Station.
On April 28, 2017, Singair Police Station inspector Aminul Islam submitted a charge sheet to the court naming 24 accused. After recording the testimony of 21 witnesses, the court delivered its verdict on Thursday.
