Mohsin Mohammad Matrik, ManikgaS/nj 

A Manikganj court sentenced five individuals to death and eight others to life imprisonment on Thursday for the murder of three people in Singair upazila.

The court also handed down varying prison terms to seven other convicts, while acquitting four individuals after charges against them were not proven.

District and Sessions Judge SK. M. Tofael Hossain pronounced the verdict in the presence of all the accused around 12:30 pm.

The capital punishment convicts were identified as Md. Ziar Uddin, Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Abdur Rashid, Jasim, and Siddique Miah. The court fined each of them Tk 20,000, with an additional four months of simple imprisonment in default.

The eight convicts sentenced to life imprisonment are Md. Zohir Uddin, Azizul, Uzzal, Md. Shamsul Haque, Salauddin, Majed Miah, Md. Moron, and Swapan. Each of them was also fined Tk 20,000.

Additionally, the court sentenced Shamim and Habu Miah to five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a Tk 10,000 fine each, defaulting which they will serve two more months in prison. Convict Majnu Miah received a one-year rigorous imprisonment term, Raziya Khatun and Sufia Khatun were sentenced to six months each, while Sahera and Khatuni were handed three-month prison sentences.

The four acquitted individuals are Uzzal, Oli Ahad, Shukur Jola, and Raja Jola. Public Prosecutor of the District and Sessions Judge Court, A. F. M. Nurtaj Alam Bahar, confirmed the judgment.

According to case details, a dispute arose among relatives over the property and monetary assets left behind by a childless Bangladeshi expatriate woman named Hasina following her death in Bahrain. Her sister Raziya Khatun, along with her husband and sons, occupied the assets, leading to persistent family feuds despite multiple local arbitration attempts.

On February 21, 2016, during a scheduled arbitration at around 7:45 am, the primary accused lured Tendul Mullah, Karim Mullah, and Aziz Mullah to the house of Shamsul Haque. Upon arrival, the convicts launched a violent attack on them using lethal weapons, including sharp cleavers, spears, iron rods, and bamboo sticks, on Raziya Khatun's orders.

The victims sustained severe injuries and subsequently succumbed to their wounds. Following the triple homicide, Md. Farida Akter filed a murder case with Singair Police Station on February 22, 2016.

Police Inspector Aminul Islam of Singair Police Station submitted a charge sheet against 24 individuals on April 28, 2017. The court delivered the final judgment after recording testimonies from 21 prosecution witnesses.