Published : 22 Sep 2026, 07:43 PM
Updated : 22 Sep 2026, 07:43 PM
A Tangail court has sentenced three people, including the youngest son of the influential Khan family, to death for the 2013 murder of former Dyenna Union Parishad chairman and BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Faruk Hossain.
Four others received life sentences and one was acquitted.
It is the first time a Khan family son has been convicted, despite decades of allegations of murder, terrorism, extortion and arms offences.
The victim’s brother and plaintiff Labhlu Mia wants the verdict implemented swiftly.
The verdict was announced Monday by Additional District and Sessions Judge Md Faisal Al Mamun in the presence of two suspects, said Additional Public Prosecutor Mohammad Saidur Rahman Swapan.
The death-row convicts are Saniat Khan Bappa, Md Azad, and Md Shahjahan Mia. All are absconding.
Those handed down life terms are Md Sujon, Md Sanowar Hossain, Md Shafiqul Islam Shafik and Ruzbel Emon. Sanjit Ghosh was acquitted.
Faruk was killed on Dec 20, 2013. Four Khan brothers -- Bappa, Amanur Rahman Khan Rana, Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti and Zahidur Rahman Khan Kakon -- were named.
Bappa left Bangladesh in 2014 before his involvement emerged; Kakon left soon after.
Rana, a former MP, and Mukti, a former mayor, were freed after years in jail.
Amanur and Shahidur are in hiding; Bappa is in Belgium, Kakon in Malaysia and Rana in India.
Tangail Awami League politics was divided between Shamsur Rahman Khan and Kader Siddique. Their families’ feud intensified after Siddique returned from India in 1990.
Shamsur’s nephews Aminur Rahman Khan Bappi, Rana and Mukti formed a group controlling part of the town and faced numerous cases and jail terms.
Bappi was killed in a terrorist attack in November 2003; Kakon and Saniat then joined the group.
After the Awami League took power, Mukti became mayor in 2011, Rana MP for Tangail-3 in 2012, Kakon led business groups and Saniat became central Chhatra League vice-president.
The family dominated business, politics and contracting, while the brothers faced dozens of cases.
Rana had more than 50 cases, including five murder cases; Mukti about 40, including five; Kakon a dozen, including three; and Saniat a dozen, including four.
None had previously been convicted amid allegations of withdrawals, pressure on plaintiffs and absent witnesses. Last year all four were acquitted in Faruk’s murder case.
Faruk, also Sadar Upazila BNP vice-president, lived in Akurtakur Para. At 6:30am he went walking; assailants attacked near Bottola Bazar, shooting and hacking him.
Police recovered his body. Labhlu filed the case the next day, and Detective Police investigated.
In 2016 police arrested Shahjahan, Sujon and Sanowar. Their court confessions led investigators to say Bappa paid Tk 1 million for the killing.
A chargesheet named eight suspects; trial began after charges were framed, and the judge ruled after all evidence.
Labhlu said, “The killers have left countless mothers in Tangail grieving. Hundreds of injustices were committed under their leadership. Until now, they had never been brought to justice. We want this verdict implemented swiftly.”
