Three sentenced to death for Bhola housewife murder

A Bhola court has sentenced three individuals to death and two others to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of a housewife, Bokul Begum, in Bhola’s Charfesson Upazila.

The court also handed down varying prison terms to several others in connection with the case.

Judge Md Shaukat Hossain of the Bhola Additional District and Sessions Judges Court pronounced the verdict on Sunday, confirmed Additional Public Prosecutor (PP) Hazrat Ali Hiron.

The death row convicts are Abdul Malek Pandit, Mohammad Ibrahim, and Abdul Mannan, all residents of Mujibnagar in Dularhat.

Each has also been fined Tk 20,000, failing which they will have to serve an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Mohammad Selim and Mohammad Rafique. They have also been fined Tk 20,000 each, and will face an additional six months of simple imprisonment if they fail to pay.

Mohammad Jashim, Mohammad Firoz, and Mohammad Sohag were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 5,000 each for assisting the criminals to flee.

Failure to pay the fine will draw an additional one month of simple imprisonment.

Mohammad Alam Bachchu Melkar was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment, while Mohammad Kabir received five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Tk 10,000, failing which he must serve an additional two months of simple imprisonment.

According to the case details, on the night of Nov 29, 2022, housewife Bokul was hacked to death with sharp weapons while she was asleep on the front veranda of Melkar's house.

Her elder sister Mukul Begum was also brutally attacked and critically injured as she tried to rescue Bokul.