A Pabna court sentenced three people to life imprisonment for killing an ‘extremist’ leader named Abu Musa in 2003.

Judge Ahsan Tareq of Pabna Special District and Sessions Judge's Court passed the order on Monday.

The lifers are Mohammad Ali, 40, of Pabna Sadar upazila, Khokon, 42, of Ataikula and Jahangir Hossain, 45, of Santhia upazila. All the convicts have been absconding, sources said.

The court also fined Tk 25,000 and sentenced one more year non-payment imprisonment to each of them.

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Twenty people were acquitted from the case as their involvement in the killing wasn't proved.

According to the case statement, on August 13, 2003, 10-12 miscreants stabbed Abu Musa Khan, a resident of Santhia upazila, in Hatbaria-Boailmari area leaving him seriously injured. Locals rescued him but he died on the way to the hospital.

Rahima Khatun, wife of the deceased, filed a murder case against 10-12 unidentified people at Santhia police station.

After an investigation, on September 9, 2004, the police submitted a charge sheet to the court accusing 23 people.