Two to die, 12 get life for murders of two Barguna fishermen

Two have been sentenced to death, and 12 others are to be imprisoned for life, for the murder of two fishermen by drowning in Barguna.

Another suspect has been given a seven-year prison sentence.

The verdict was announced by Barguna Additional District and Sessions Judge Md Abu Taher on Monday.

Sixteen fishermen had set out on a trawler to fish in the Bay of Bengal on Feb 14, 2010, said Assistant Public Prosecutor Akhtaruzzaman Bahadur.

“Two of the fishermen were drowned after they were convinced a local ‘prophet’ could resurrect the dead,” he said.

The victims were Barguna Sadar Upazila residents ‘Aynal’, 24, and ‘Farooq’, 40.

A total of fifteen suspects have been convicted over their deaths.

Md Babul Mazhi, 45, and Md Rustum Ali Howladar, 50, received the death sentences.

Fazlu Howladar, Abdul Khalek, Monirul Islam Abdur Rahim, ‘Babul’, Kutu Miah, ‘Badal’, Abu Hanif, Abul Bashar, Riaz Gazi, ‘Khokon’ and Sentu Miah received life sentences.

The fishermen were all from the same village.

The ‘prophet’, Habibur Rahman Jamaddar, received seven years in prison. He hails from Barguna’s Patharghata Upazila.

Aynal’s older brother filed a murder case against 15 suspects at the Barguna Sadar Police Station on Mar 6, 2010 after hearing of the incident from the fishermen, said the prosecutor.

The prosecutor said that justice had been served and hoped higher courts would uphold the verdict.

Defence lawyers Komol Kanti Das and Tofazzel Hossain disputed the fairness of the trial and said the case would be appealed.