The High Court has upheld the death sentences of two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members and acquitted five others in the murder of Rahmat Ali, caretaker of the Sureshwari shrine in Rangpur.
A High Court bench delivered the verdict around 12:15 p.m. Sunday.
On March 18, 2018, Judge Naresh Chandra Sarkar of the Rangpur Special Judge’s Court had sentenced seven JMB militants to death in the case, while acquitting six others. Each of the convicted was also fined 20,000 taka.
Those sentenced to death are JMB Rangpur regional commander Masud Rana, alias Mamun, alias Montri, 33; members Ishaq Ali, 34; Liton Mia, alias Rafiq, 32; Sakhawat Hossain, alias Rahul, 30; Sarwar Hossain Sabu, alias Mizan, 30; northern regional commander Bijoy, alias Ali, alias Dorji, 30; and Chandu Mia, 20.
Those acquitted are JMB members Abu Sayed, 30; Toufiqul Islam Sabuj, 35; Sadat, alias Ratan Mia, 23; Jahangir Hossain, alias Rajiv Gandhi, 26; Babul Akhtar, alias Babul Master, 35; and Rajibul Islam Molla, alias Badal, alias Bandhan, 25.
Of the 13 accused, two remain fugitives: Chandu Mia, 20, and Rajibul Islam Molla, alias Badal, alias Bandhan, 25.
Court sources said Rahmat Ali, 60, caretaker of the shrine, was hacked and had his throat slit while returning home on the night of Nov. 10, 2015, at Choitar More in Madhupur union, Kaunia upazila, Rangpur. The next day, his son, Shafiqul Islam, filed a murder case with Kaunia police station. After investigation, police filed charges against 14 JMB members in the case. Of these, defendant Nazrul Islam, alias Bike Hasan, of Panchagarh, was killed in a gunfight in Rajshahi on the night of Aug. 1, 2016, and defendant Saddam Hossain of Kurigram was killed in a gunfight in Dhaka on Jan. 5, 2017. After the two militants’ deaths, the judge, following the hearing, framed charges against the remaining 12.