Three sentenced to death for killing garment worker after mugging
The court of Dhaka's 13th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Jahidul Islam handed down the verdict, sentencing three accused to death and fining each Tk20,000.
A Dhaka court today (6 October) sentenced three people to death for killing a 17-year-old garment worker following a mugging at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur in 2022.
The court of Dhaka's 13th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Jahidul Islam handed down the verdict, sentencing Md Yusuf, Iqbal Khan and Mehedi Hasan to death and fining each Tk20,000.
Another accused, Sujon, was sentenced to three years in prison on the same charges. State counsel Md Abul Kalam Azad confirmed the matter.
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The three death-row convicts were produced before the court before the verdict and were later sent to prison with conviction warrants. As Sujon is absconding, the court issued an arrest warrant and a conviction warrant against him.
According to the case statement, victim Saymon Sheikh worked at Liberty Garments in Mirpur-1 for a monthly salary of Tk10,000. On 11 October 2022, after collecting his salary, he went shopping in Mirpur-1 with colleagues Rifat Hossain Rabbi and Hridoy Hasan.
Around 9pm, while they were returning home, one of three unidentified muggers stopped Saymon in front of the Aarong shopping centre, claiming that Saymon had beaten his younger brother.
The man then intimidated Saymon and Rifat and took them by rickshaw from Rupayan Tower through Konabari to the kitchen market area under Darus Salam Police Station.
Rifat was dropped off near the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, while Saymon was taken inside the memorial. The three men allegedly pulled out knives and demanded his belongings. When he refused to hand over his mobile phone and money, they stabbed him before fleeing with the items.
Hearing Saymon's cries for help, people nearby rescued him and took him to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, where a doctor declared him dead.
Saymon's father, Shajahan Sheikh, filed a case with Darus Salam Police Station against unidentified people. During the investigation, police arrested Yusuf, who later confessed to his involvement and named Iqbal and Mehedi Hasan as co-accused.
Police recovered Yusuf's share of the money obtained from selling Saymon's mobile phone from his residence. He also admitted selling the phone to Sujon for Tk2,200.
On 31 January 2023, Sub-Inspector Sohan Ahmed of Darus Salam Police Station submitted a charge sheet against Yusuf, Iqbal and Mehedi for murder following a mugging, and against Sujon for possessing stolen property.
The trial began on 2 August 2023 after charges were framed against the accused. The court recorded the testimonies of 18 witnesses during the trial.
