Ex-SI Akbar gets death sentence in Raihan murder case

A Sylhet court on Thursday sentenced dismissed SI Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan to death for the torture and death of Raihan Ahmed at the city’s Bandar Bazar police outpost in 2020.

Two other accused, constables Md Harun Or Rashid and Titu Chandra Das, were sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Tk1 lakh each, while Sub-Inspector Md Hasan Uddin, ASI Ashik Elahi and journalist Abdul Al Mamun were jailed for seven years each.

Judge Abdul Majid Munshi of the Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict, said Public Prosecutor Mohammad Muminul Islam Momin.

Of the six accused, only Ashik Elahi was present in court. The other five, including Akbar, remain at large. Akbar was granted bail but later went into hiding.

According to case documents and court sources, Raihan was picked up and tortured at the outpost in the early hours of 10 October 2020 and died the following day.

His wife filed a case under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act. Sylhet Metropolitan Police formed an inquiry committee, which found evidence of torture.

On 12 October 2020, Akbar, then in charge of the outpost, and three other police personnel were temporarily suspended, while three others were withdrawn from their posts.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a charge sheet against six people on 5 May 2021. The trial began on 13 September that year.