17 get life term for killing father, son in Khulna

A court in Khulna on Sunday sentenced 17 people including an incumbent Union Parishad (UP) chairman to life term imprisonment in a sensational double murder case.

Khulna Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Md Nazrul Islam Hawlader also fined the convicts Tk 5,000 each, in default, they will have to serve one more year in jail.

The court handed down the verdict in presence of all the accused.

According to the case statement, all the accused equipped with sharp weapons stormed into the house of Piru Sheikh, a resident of Pahardanga village in Terokhada upazila of the district, and stabbed him at the instruction of one Abdur Rahim over the previous enmity on August 6, 2019, leaving him injured.

The killers also hacked Piru’s son Nayem to death on the spot when he was desperately trying to save his father, the statement said.

Piru Sheikh succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka around two months after the incident.

Later, Piru’s wife filed a murder case against 17 named people and 12 unnamed ones at the local police station.

Police pressed the charge sheet accusing 19 people at court on January 29, 2020.

The convicted criminals are the chairman of Chhagladah union parishad SM Din Islam and his associates Md Abdur Rahman, Jamir Sheikh, Sheikh Saiful Islam, Khalid Sheikh, Eskendar Sheikh, Jashim Sheikh, Hossain Sheikh, Ziarul Sheikh, Baharul Sheikh, Abbas Sheikh, Wahidul Gazi, Khairul Sheikh, Keramat Mallick, Mahbur Sheikh, Babu Sheikh and Nur Islam Sheikh.

The court exempted two accused from the charges as allegations brought against them were not proved, Md Ahaduzzaman, public prosecutor, said. They are Abu Sayeed Biswas and Ayub Sheikh.

He said they are satisfied with the verdict delivered by the court and demanded immediate execution of it.

Rejecting the verdict, plaintiff Mahfuza Begum said they will appeal to the High Court seeking capital punishment for the convicts.