Three, including police members, get life imprisonment

A Dhaka court has sentenced three individuals, including two police personnel, to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Jalal Ahmed Shafi at the Detective Branch (DB) office on Mintu Road in the capital.

The verdict came 27 years after the sensational killing. 

The convicts are habildar Md Billal Hossain, constable Md Abdur Rauf, and DB canteen manager Md Anwar Hossain.

Judge Mosaddek Minhaj of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-4 delivered the verdict on Thursday in the absence of the convicts, Bench Assistant Sayedur Rahman confirmed on Sunday.

The court also issued arrest warrants along with warrants of conviction against them.

According to court sources, the case named five accused, among whom metropolitan DB inspector Md Ziaul Hasan died during the trial proceedings, and police constable Abdul Malek was acquitted as the charges against him could not be proven.

On 25 March 1999, Jalal’s half-decomposed body was recovered from a rooftop water tank at the DB office on Mintu Road.

On 26 March 1999, police filed a case against unidentified individuals, even before the body was identified. 

Later, the victim’s son, Abbas Uddin, filed another case on 4 April that year after the body was identified.

On 9 August 1999, the charge sheet was submitted to the court, which formally framed charges on 10 July 2000 and began the trial. During the proceedings, the court heard testimony from 26 witnesses.

According to the case documents, some DB members used Jalal to collect information on smuggling operations and conducted raids based on that information.

The accused killed Jalal in March 1999 over a dispute regarding the sharing of gold and drugs recovered during the raids.