5 to die, 4 get jail terms for killing former tax commissioner

After examining 23 out of 43 prosecution witnesses, Judge Abdur Rahman Sarder of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 delivered the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom in the case. The death row convicts are: Md Nasir and Md Rasel Talukder, both residents of Barisal district; Md Rustom of Rangpur; Md Amir Hossain of Pirojpur; and Md Shohel Rana of Rajbari. Nur Alam of Madaripur and Masud Miah of Dinajpur have been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with a fine of Tk 10,000 each, in default, they will have to serve one more year in jail. The court also sentenced Mst Selina and Mst Nurjahan to two years’ imprisonment with a fine of Tk 1,000 each, in default, they will have to serve one more month in jail. All the convicts except Rustom, who is on the run, were present at the court during the delivery of the verdict. On March 2, 2015, Abu Taher was murdered inside his flat in Dhaka’s Rampura area during a robbery. A group of robbers had entered Taher’s Rampura flat by cutting a window grill around 3am that night. They held his wife hostage and looted valuables including cash worth Tk45,000, two tolas of  gold ornaments and three mobile phones. When Taher tried to stop the robbers, they hacked the 73-year-old freedom fighter with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. The robbers also cut the tendons of Taher’s hands and legs. Later, neighbours rushed him to the United Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Convicts Selina and Nurjahan, who used to serve as housemaids in Taher’s flat, reportedly assisted the robbers in looting the valuables. Taher’s son ATM Ariful Haque filed the case with Rampur police station following the murder. Hailing the judgment, the complainant’s counsel Kazi Najib Ullah Hiru said: “We are satisfied with the verdict.”