Youth gets death sentence over 2017 Manarat University student murder

A Dhaka court has sentenced Asif Sikdar to death for murdering his friend Nasim Ahmed Imad Uddin, a BBA student at Manarat University, in the capital's East Badda area over a trivial dispute.

The court also fined Asif Tk50,000.

Judge Tawheeda Akhter of the Seventh Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka pronounced the verdict today (18 August), confirmed Tanzil Hossain Bhuiyan, bench assistant.

'Asif is currently absconding. The court has issued an arrest warrant and a warrant of conviction against him", Tanzil said.

According to the case documents, on 5 November 2017 around 9pm, Nasim was passing a mobile financial services shop owned by Monir in an alley near East Badda Post Office when he saw a group of people shouting and creating a commotion.

Nasim then asked them to keep the noise down and stop gambling, triggering an argument between the two sides.

At one point, Asif slapped Ramzan, following which Ramzan and several others allegedly went to Asif's residence that night and threatened him.

The following morning around 9:30am, Asif stabbed Nasim as he stepped outside to buy groceries, causing him to run a short distance before collapsing near the ground floor of the building.
Family members took Nasim to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

On the same day, Nasim's father, Ali Ahmed Saifuddin, filed a murder case with Badda Police Station against Asif, Ramzan, Abdur Rashid and three to four unidentified people.

After completing the investigation, Inspector Abdus Sobhan of the Gulshan Zonal Team submitted a chargesheet on 30 September 2018, accusing Asif while recommending that Ramzan and Abdur Rashid be exonerated for lack of sufficient evidence.

The court framed charges against Asif and began the trial on 19 January 2022.

During the trial, 14 of the 20 prosecution witnesses testified before the court.