The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday okayed the death sentences against nine out of ten condemned convicts while exonerated all 13 lifers in the decade-old Kazi Aref murder case.

A Division Bench comprising Justice AKM Fazlur Rahman and ATM Fazle Kabir delivered the judgment in resolving the death reference along with jail appeal cases.

An armed gang killed Kazi Aref Ahmed, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and freedom fighter, along with his four local party colleagues while he was speaking out against political violence at a rally at Kalidaspur village in Daulatpur of Kushtia on February 16, 1999.

On August 30, 2004, Kushtia additional district and sessions judge M Fazlur Rahman sentenced 10 underground operatives to death and another 13 to life imprisonment, convicting them of murdering five JSD leaders, including Kazi Aref.

The four others gunned down with Aref are Kushtia district JSD president Lokman Hossain and General Secretary Yakub Ali and party leaders Israil Hossain and Shamser Mondol.

The convicts were in the outlawed Gono Bahini, believed to be an aberrant offshoot of JSD, and blamed for the shooting to death of scores of people over the years in Kushtia and neighbouring areas.

The belt is known as a hub for communist outlaws, many of whom have lately been slain in 'crossfire' in reported encounters with law-enforcing agencies.

Those nine other condemned prisoners sans Shair Uddin, who was acquitted, who are to walk to the gallows are Ilias Hossain alias Elach, Baker, Mannan Mollah, Anwar, Jhantu, Jahan, Jalal, Safayat Hossain and Rawshan Ali.

The 13 acquitted people are Laltu, Rofat, Asgar Joardar, Faraj, Tashir, Garesh Sardar, Majid, Mohit, Nazrul, Lablu, Oliar Rahman, Akubbar and Tikka.

Advocate Binoy Kumar Bose appeared for the state while Advocate Mansurul Huq Chowdhury and Zaman Akhter Bulbul for the defence.