BANGLADESH: FIVE GET DEATH PENALTY IN JASHORE MURDER CASE

June 4, 2024:

A court in Jashore on May 20, 2024 sentenced five people to death for killing an easy-bike driver at Sadar upazila of the district in 2011.
Farzana Yeasmin, the judge of Jashore 3rd Additional Sessions Court, delivered the verdict on May 20 afternoon.
The convicts are Ikhtiar Bishwas, a resident of Hamidpur Bishwaspara area, Enamul, of Chanpara village, Kajal, of Hamidpur Dakshinpara, Gopal Gosh, Dhanghata village under the Sadar upazila, and Khorshed Alam, of Lakshyanpur village under Monirampur upazila. Of them, three were present at the court during the hearing as Ikhtiar and Gopal still on run.
Quoting the case statement, assistant public prosecutor (APP) of the court Asaduzzaman said that the victim Mafizur Rahman, an easy-bike driver of Sultanpur village of Fatepur union of the upazila, was killed in the night of June 22, 2011, on the suspicion of being involved in a murder of one Sumitra Ghosh, wife of the convict Gopal Ghosh.
Two days after the incident, Mafizur's body was found in a pond near Jhumjhumpur garbage dump area of the upazila in the morning of June 24, he said.
Later, the victim's wife Ayesha Begum filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station accusing some unknown persons.
"Earlier on April 15 of 2010, Sumitra Ghosh, wife of the convict Gopal Ghosh, was murdered and Gopal used to believe that Mofizur killed his wife. Later, Mofizur was also made an accused in the murder case and served in jail for few days. But he secured bail soon after being arrested. Since then Gopal Ghosh was threatening him of his life," he said.
Following the Mafizur Rahman's murder case, police started investigation and arrested Ikhtiar and Khorshed on suspicion of involvement in the murder. During primary questioning, they confessed to their crime, said the advocate.
The duo told in their statement that the five make Mafizur to drink alcohol first and then, they strangled him to death and threw the body in the pond. Mofizur was killed to avenge the killing of Gopal Ghosh's wife, said the APP.
After completing investigation of the case, SI Nasir Uddin pressed the charge sheet before the court accusing the five.
Later, the court awarded them with death penalty after hearing witnesses and examining evidences, added the public prosecutor.