5 to walk gallows for killing 4 of a family

BAGERHAT, July 3 (UNB): A court here on Thursday condemned five people, including a couple, to death for killing four members of a family in Sharankhola upazila in 2000.

The condemned convicts are Shahid Sarder, his wife Mafila Begum of Joyatala village in Bamna upazila of Barguna, Abdul Kuddus, son of Joynal Abedin of Guddighata village in Sharankhola, Shah Alam alias Alam Fakir, son of Motahar Ali of Baro Machhua village in Mathbaria upazila in Pirojpur, and Ohidul alias Shahiul Islam, son of Kadam Ali of Rampura in the capital.

According to the prosecution, the convicts went to the house of Shahabuddin at Lakurtala village in Sharankhola on March 9, 2000 introducing them as their relatives.

They made all the five members of the house unconscious feeding them with food laced with sedatives and looted the house at night.

While fleeing, the convicts slaughtered Shahabuddin, his wife Tahmina Khatun, their daughter Lily Akhter and son Monir Hossain. They also slit the throat of the other daughter of Shahabuddin, Sheuly Akhter.  However, she survived.

Shahabuddin's brother-in-law Elias Khan filed a case against some unidentified people. On September 20, 2000, police submitted charge-sheet against the five accused. After examining the records and witnesses, Session's Judge SM Solaiman handed down the verdict.