Nitai murder: 5 to walk gallows, 4 sentenced to jail unto death
Dr Nitai was stabbed to death at his home in the NIDCH residential area on 23 August 2012.
A Dhaka court today (17 August) sentenced five individuals to death and handed imprisonment until death to four others in connection with the 2012 murder of Dr Narayan Chandra Dutta Nitai, an assistant professor at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) in Mohakhali.
Judge Md Rezaul Karim of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-10 delivered the verdict in the presence of the convicts, said state lawyer Mohammad Moazzem Hossain.
Those sentenced to death are Kamrul Hasan Arun, chauffeur of Dr Nitai; Bakul Mia; Masum Mintu alias Mintu alias Bargira Mintu; Md Hossain Miji; and Sayeed Bepari. They have also been fined Tk10,000 each.
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And those sentenced to imprisonment until death are Saidul, Masum alias Pyada Masum, Md Abul Kalam alias Picchi Kalam and Faisal. They have also been fined Tk10,000 each.
In addition, another accused, Rafiqul Islam, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Dr Nitai, a leader of the pro-Awami League physicians' forum Swadhinata Chikitshok Parishad and an executive committee member of the Bangladesh Medical Association, was stabbed to death at his NIDCH Doctors' Quarter residence in Mohakhali on 23 August 2012.
His father, Tarit Kanti Datta, filed a murder case at Banani police station the same day against unknown individuals.
On 11 February 2023, Gazi Ataur Rahman, Inspector of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Investigating Officer of the case, submitted the chargesheet to the court against 10 accused, stating that they killed Dr Nitai Chandra during a burglary attempt.
Of the accused, Mintu, Rafiqul, Picchi Kalam, Saidul, Pyada Masum and Faisal gave confessional statements under Section 164 in the case.
On 22 July 2013, the court ordered the start of the trial by framing charges against the accused. During the trial, the court recorded testimonies of 29 witnesses. In addition, five of the accused gave defence testimonies on their behalf.
According to the case statement, Dr Nitai was murdered after seeing the robbers during a burglary at his NIDCH Doctors' Quarter residence on the night of 22 August 2012. The suspects took away Tk5 lakh and two pieces of gold jewellery from the home.
Dr Nitai's blood-stained body was recovered from his residence in the early hours of 23 August and taken to the NIDCH intensive care unit, where physicians pronounced him dead upon arrival.
