Appellate Division upholds life term for 5 for murdering AK Azad’s brother

The Supreme Court has confirmed life sentence for five people for murdering Ha-Meem Group Managing Director AK Azad’s younger brother Nurul Islam Rifat.

A three-member Appellate Division bench, led by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, in the verdict on Wednesday, however, acquitted another convict.

The five to serve jail term are – Shamsu Habib alias Bidyut, Sarfaraj Ahmed alias Curzon, Manik Ahmed Khan, Abu Raihan alias Rana and Rasel Kabir alias Roman.

The one absolved is Omar Faruk alias Rasel. He was given life in jail in an earlier verdict.

Earlier, the High Court had acquitted another accused in the case, Tajuddin Ahmed alias Titu, who was also awarded life in jail by the trial court.

However, another accused in the murder case Md Selim Khan is still absconding.

Tejgaon College student Rifat was murdered on Jan 27, 1997. Police found his body on the railway tracks at Mohakhali in Dhaka.

Later on, one of his brothers, Md Ismail Hossain, filed the case at Cantonment Police Station.

Police submitted the chargesheet on Jan 7, 1998, accusing eight people. The court framed charges on May 7, 2000.

Seven years later, Dhaka Metrpolitan Additional Sessions Judge’s Court handed down life imprisonment to the eight on June 21, 2007.

At Wednesday’s hearing, lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain represented Omar Faruk.

Deputy Attorney General Md Selim argued for the State while lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru stood for the plaintiff.