A Chandpur court on Thursday sentenced a youth to death and another to life imprisonment for the murder of a gold trader in the district’s Matlab South upazila.

The convicts are Joy Biswas Anik ,21, son of Arjun Biswas of Munshiganj, who received the death penalty, and Hridoy Sutradhar ,21, son of Gopal Sutradhar of Matlab South, who was sentenced to life in prison. Both were also fined Tk 10,000 each, with an additional two-year rigorous imprisonment in case of default.

Man accused of attempted rape dies in police custody in Chandpur

Md. Kamal Hossain, Additional District and Sessions Judge (2nd Court) of Chandpur, delivered the verdict in the noon. Joy was present during the sentencing, while Hridoy remains absconding after going into hiding while on bail.

The victim, Omar Sarkar ,45, was a gold trader at Narayanpur market and the son of Rabi Bhakta. According to the case details, on the night of February 21, 2022, the convicts intercepted Omar on his way home from his business, "Madhabi Shilpalay," and slit his throat with a sharp weapon.

To divert suspicion, Joy himself informed the victim's father about the murder that night. Rabi Bhakta and his elder son eventually found Omar's bloody body in a nearby courtyard, just 80 yards from their home.

Police arrested Hridoy and Joy on February 23 and 24, 2022, respectively. The then-investigating officer, SI Md. Habibur Rahman, submitted the charge sheet on May 10, 2022.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Salma Begum said that the court reached the verdict after examining 21 witnesses and reviewing the defendants' confessions. Advocate Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan represented the defense as a state-appointed lawyer.