Madaripur police murder verdict set for Wednesday

A court will pronounce its verdict on Wednesday for the killings of a police officer and an office assistant in Madaripur 13 years ago.

Judge Md Monir Kamal of the speedy trial tribunal-3 of Dhaka will pass the verdict against the 26 alleged criminals of the Sarbahara Party, a banned extremist group.

Special Branch SI Hasnain Azam Khan and Md Kamrul Alam Khan, an office assistant, were stopped by the members of the gang, according to case details filed in 2005. They were riding a motorcycle.

Later they were killed and their bodies cut into pieces. The pieces were then floated off into the Kumar river.

The then Madaripur District Police Special Branch Inspector Abul Khayer Mia filed a case with Rajoir Police Station after both Azam Khan and Kamrul Alam failed to show up for two consecutive days in the office and could not be contacted.

Four officers, in phases, investigated the case.

After two years of investigation, a chargesheet was filed with a Madaripur court against 32 of the 38 accused. Six of the accused had already died by then.

Four among the 32 accused were killed at different times in ‘alleged’ gunfights with the police. Moreover, two more named in the chargesheet had died because of illness.

Of the 26 convicted in the trial, 13 are absconding and 12 secured bail from the High Court. Only one is in prison.

During the trial, the judge heard the testimonies of 36 people for the state.

The tribunal's special prosecutor Mahbubur Rahman told bdnews24.com that the documents of the case were transferred to a speedy tribunal of Dhaka from Madaripur court in 2008.