A court in Cox’s Bazar has sentenced six people to death for abducting and killing a seven-year-old boy in 2011.

Cox’s Bazar district and sessions judge Md Ismail handed down the punishment on Wednesday after holding the six guilty of the crime. However, two other accused in the case have been acquitted "for lack of evidence".

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The convicts are Sumon Ali, 26, son of Aftab Ali, Yeasin alias Raihan, 29, son of Shamsul Haque, Yeakub, 34, son of Aslam Mia, Ishak alias Kalu, 31, son of Atlongi Hossain, Saidul Hossain, 47, son of Abdur Rahim, and Nazrul Islam, 28, son of Nabi Hossain. Of them Saidul, Ishak and Nazrul were tried in absentia.

Those acquitted are Mohibulla, 45, son of Abdul Jalil, and Didar Mia, son of Zafar Ahmed.

According to the prosecution, Sumon, who worked for the boy's father -- Md Abdullah of Teknaf upazila -- had hatched the plot to abduct the child for ransom.

On September 6, 2011, the convicts picked up the boy -- Waliullah -- from near his house. But when the boy raised an alarm, the convicts slit his throat and dumped the body near his house.

On September 9, 2011, Waliullah’s father lodged a complaint against 4-5 people with Teknaf Police. The cops later registered a murder case.

On December 30, 2012, the investigating officer in the case submitted a chargesheet against five people. The case was later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

On August 25, 2017, CID officers submitted a supplementary chargesheet against eight people.

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