A court on Tuesday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for killing two members of the Christian community in Boalmari nearly 20 years ago.
The court also fined each convict Tk 20,000 and if the fines are not paid, each will serve an additional six months in prison.
The verdict was delivered at about 12:00 pm by Judge Md. Shafiuddin of the Faridpur Special Judge Court.
As all four convicts remain absconding, the court delivered the verdict in their absence and issued arrest warrants against them.
The convicts are - Anwar Hossain, 53, of Shirgram village, Bana Union, Alfadanga upazila; Kamrul Hasan, also known as Kamruzzaman, 45, of Gunbaha village, Gunbaha Union, Boalmari upazila; Moniruzzaman, also known as Monir, 40, of Dhopapara village, Chandpur Union, Boalmari upazila; and Abdus Samad, 60, of Char Dhopapara village, Chandpur Union, Boalmari upazila.
According to court sources, the victims were Tapan Ray, 30, and Nikalal Majhi, 35.
They were residents of Bipul Kumar Bakchi’s house in Char Dhopapara village, Boalmari upazila.
According to the case report, amid a nationwide surge in activity by JMB (Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh), on the night of July 28, 2005, between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m., unidentified assailants entered the house of the two victims and attacked them with sharp weapons, injuring them severely.
Locals rushed the injured to Boalmari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.
Bipul Kumar Bakchi filed a murder case at Boalmari Police Station on July 28, 2005, naming unknown persons as suspects.
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The investigating officer, SI Sultan Mahmud of Boalmari Police Station, submitted a charge sheet on March 28, 2007, accusing the four now convicted.
Public Prosecutor Md. Azizur Rahman told UNB that, despite the long delay, justice has been served in this double murder case and the state is satisfied with the verdict.
Confirming the incident, Public Prosecutor Md. Azizur Rahman of Faridpur Special Judge Court said, “Although it took a long time, we have achieved justice in this double murder case. The prosecution is satisfied with the verdict.”