Home
+
Published : 26 May 2025, 10:52 PM
A Sylhet court has sentenced eight individuals to death for the murder of a UK-based expatriate following a dispute over family land.
The verdict was delivered on Monday afternoon by Additional District and Sessions Judge Syeda Amina Farhin.
The convicts are Sheikh Alfu Mia, 41, Sheikh Ponky Mia, 43, Sheikh Tota Mia, 57, and Sheikh Abdur Rob alias Lebu Mia, 63, all brothers from Fatehpur Guptapara village in Osmaninagar Upazila.
Others sentenced include Ponky’s wife Lovely Begum, Lebu’s wife Sheikh Anwara Begum alias Eshai, 48, Fakhr Uddin alias Ahor, 46, and Helal Uddin alias Dipu Mia, 43.
Among them, Dipu Mia is on the run from the authorities.
According to the case documents, on Jun 13, 2018, around 3pm, Sheikh Masuk Mia, 35, left his home for Goala Bazar but never returned.
His wife attempted to contact him on his mobile phone, but no one answered. The phone was later found switched off.
The following day, Masuk’s mutilated body was discovered in a paddy field.
Masuk’s brother, Alfu, filed a case with Osmaninagar Police Station against unidentified individuals. The investigation was led by investigating officer SM Main Uddin.
During the investigation, police detained and interrogated Masuk’s brothers Alfu, Ponky, and Tota on suspicion. They eventually confessed to the killing.
According to their statements, Masuk had sent money from abroad, which his brothers used to purchase land in their own names. Upon returning to Bangladesh, Masuk demanded that the land purchased with his remittances be transferred to his name.
The refusal led the two sisters-in-law and the brothers to allegedly plot his murder.
Following this, a second murder case was filed, in which the investigation officer formally arrested the accused.
The arrested individuals gave statements in court detailing how they killed Masuk Mia.
Based on these confessions, Fakhr, Lovely, Anwara, and Lebu were arrested. On July 16, Anwara also confessed to her involvement in court.
On May 8, 2019, the investigating officer submitted the charge sheet against the eight accused, including the four brothers. The court framed charges on Nov 8, 2020, and the trial started.
After hearing testimony from 20 out of 29 listed witnesses, the court handed down the death penalty to all eight accused.
