Six to die, 7 get life in prison for 2016 Cumilla double murder

Cousins Md Gias Uddin and Md Jamal Hossain were hacked to death over a land dispute

A Cumilla court has sentenced six people to death and seven more to life in prison for the double murder of Md Gias Uddin and Md Jamal Hossain over a land dispute in Cumilla’s Sadar South Upazila.

Cumilla Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court -4 Judge Jahangir Hossain delivered the verdict in the case at 12:30pm on Monday, confirmed Md Zahirul Islam Selim, the public prosecutor for the district.

The death row convicts were identified as Tofail Ahmed Tota, 38, Kamal Hossain, 48, Alamgir Hossain, 38, Md Mamun, 28, Md Babul, 35, and Harunur Rashid, 45.

The seven convicts who were sentenced to life in prison were Haidar Ali, 65, Abdul Mannan, 32, Jamal Hossain, 45, Abul Bashar, 28, Abdul Quader, 32, and Abdul Kuddus, 45, and Jakir Hossain, whose age wasn’t confirmed.

Selim said the court also fined the convicts Tk 50,000 each. The life-term convicts will remain behind bars for another year if they fail to pay the fine.

Two suspects have also been acquitted as the allegations against them were not proven.

Citing the case documents, state counsel Selim said the convicts hacked Gias and Jamal to death with sharp weapons after storming a local shop owned by Khorshed Alam in the Dhonaitori Jamtola area over a prior dispute on Aug 12, 2016.

Mehedi Hasan, the son of victim Gias Uddin, started a lawsuit against 12 people, including Tota and 10-12 unnamed suspects at Cumilla Sadar South Model Thana over the murders.

The investigating officer of the case pressed charges against 12 named suspects, including Tota, and three unnamed suspects afterwards.

Selim expressed his satisfaction over the verdict and said he expects the top court will uphold the order and execute it soon.