SAMIUL, RAKIB KILLINGS : 6 sentenced to death [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

SAMIUL, RAKIB KILLINGS : 6 sentenced to death

Local November 09, 2015

Courts on Sunday sentenced six persons to death in separate cases of torturing and killing 13-year old Samiul Alam Rajon in Sylhet and 12-year-old Rakib Hawlader in Khulna earlier this year.
The brutal killings of the two minor boys, who earned their living, caused huge outrage at home and abroad.
A court in the north-eastern city of Sylhet sentenced four to death for torturing and killing Samiul at Sundar Ali Market, Kumargaon, Sylhet on July 8.
Another court in the south-western port city of Khulna sentenced two to death for killing Rakib at Tootpara, Khulna, on August 3.
Death of Rakib, worker of a motorcycle repair workshop was caused by pumping air through his rectum using a compressor by the workshop owner and his accomplice only because he changed work place for better wage.
The high pressure of air tore apart Rakib’s intestine and burst his lung. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital at night on the same day and the doctors declared him dead.
Both the verdicts were delivered in crowded courtrooms amid pin drop silence in the two cities on the two corners of Bangladesh as the whole nation eagerly waited for the decisions.
Thousands of people waiting outside the two courts broke into cheers on hearing the verdicts.
Samiul was a vegetable vendor.
Sylhet metropolitan sessions court judge Akbar Hossain Mridha sentenced Kamrul Islam, 32 and Taj Uddin Ahmad alias Badal of Sheikhpara village and Mayna Miah alias Mayna Choukidar, 45, of Pirpur village, sadar upazila, Sylhet and Zakir Hossain alias Pavel, 18, of Ghagatia, Derai upazila, Sunamganj – to death for killing Samiul.
For abetting Samiul’s killing and recording his brutal torture leading to his death on video footage, the judge sentenced Nur Ahmad alias
Nur Miah, 20, of Purba Jangail village, sadar upazila, Sylhet to life term.
The judge handed seven years’ jails to each of Shamim Ahmad, 20, Muhith Alam, 34, and Ali Haidar, 40, all siblings Kamrul, as they tried to dump Samiul’s body at a lonely place.
Two other accomplices, Dulal Ahmad, 30, of Sheikhpara, Sylhet and Ayaz Ali, 45, of Zahangirgaon, Doarabazar upazila, Sunamganj were sentenced to one year’s jail.
The video clipping of the victim’s torture and death posted online by the perpetrators show Samiul screaming in pain and begging for water and freedom caused worldwide outrage.
Judge Akbar also fined—Kamrul, Badal, Mayna, Pavel, Nur Miah, Shamim, Muhith and Ali Haydar—Tk 10,000 each, in default, to two more months’ jail while Tk 1,000 each for Dulal and Ayaz, in default, to two more months’ jail.
Pavel and Shamim, still at large, were tried in absentia. The other convicts heard the verdict from the dock.
Three other charge-sheeted accused—Ruhul Amin, Asmat Ullah, and Firoz Ali were acquitted as the allegation against them were not proved beyond ‘reasonable doubts.’
The trial began on October 1.
The court recorded evidence presented by 36 prosecution witnesses.
Samiul’s father Sheikh Azizul Islam and his lawyer Shawquat Hossain Chowdhury were present in the court room to hear the verdict.
Merciless beating by the offenders caused Samiul death.
The offenders branded Samiul as a rickshaw-van thief when he had gone there to sell vegetables early morning on July 8.
Local people caught Muhith as he with his accomplices were trying to dump Samiul’s body at a lonely place near Kumargaon Bus Terminal. They handed him over to the police but his accomplices had fled.
When Samiul’s father Azizul, a microbus driver, went to file a general diary at night as his son did not return home, he was severely beaten up at Jalalabad police station.
Later on the same night, Azizul identified his son’s body at the morgue of Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Prime accused Kamrul fled to Saudi Arabia on July 11. The Saudi police arrested him in Jeddah on July 13.
On information given by Muhith police recovered the video-clip that recorded Samiul’s torture and death .
In Khulna, Metropolitan Sessions Court judge Dilruba Sultana sentenced Md Omar Sharif and Mintu Khan to death for killing Rakib.
Another accused in the case, Beauty Begum, Omar’s mother, was acquitted.
All the three accused were in the dock.
Rakib’s father Md Noor Alam was present in the court room to hear the verdict.
Angry residents of Tootpara central road, neighbours of the victim, caught Sharif, Mintu and Beauty as they were trying to escape leaving Rakib’s body at KMCH’s emergency department. They handed them over to police.
On the following day, Rakib’s father filed a case with Khulna Sadar police station listing g Sharif, Mintu and Beauty as the accused.
The prison van carrying the convicts to jail came under attacks by angry mobs in the court compound.
The police brought the situation under control.
Protesters held demonstrations in the court compound against Beauty Begum’s acquittal.