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A court in Manikganj on Thursday sentenced five people to death, eight to life imprisonment and seven others to different jail terms in a case over the killing of three people in Singair upazila.
Four other accused were acquitted as the charges against them could not be proved.
Manikganj District and Sessions Judge SKM Tofayel Hasan pronounced the verdict around 12:30pm in the presence of all the accused.
The death-row convicts are Zia Uddin, Zahidul Islam, Abdur Rashid, Jasim and Siddiq Mia. Each was also fined Tk20,000, with an additional four months of imprisonment in default.
The eight people sentenced to life imprisonment are Zahir Uddin, Azizul, Ujjal, Shamsul Haque, Salauddin, Mazed Mia, Maran and Swapan. Each was also fined Tk20,000.
Among the other convicts, Shamim and Habu Mia received five years’ rigorous imprisonment each, while Majnu Mia was sentenced to one year. Razia Khatun and Sufia Khatun received six months each, while Sahera and Khatuni were sentenced to three months each.
The acquitted accused include Oli Ahad, Shukur Jola and Raja Jola, along with another person.
Public Prosecutor AFM Nurtaj Alam Bahar confirmed the verdict.
According to the case statement, the killings stemmed from a dispute over property and money sent from abroad by a woman named Hasina, who lived in Bahrain and died without a husband or children.
After her death, a dispute arose among her siblings over ownership of her assets. Her sister Razia Khatun, along with her husband and sons, allegedly took control of the property and money.
Several local arbitration meetings failed to resolve the dispute.
On February 21, 2016, a meeting was scheduled to settle the matter. However, around 7:45am, Jasim called his maternal uncles Tendul Molla, Karim Molla and Aziz Molla to Shamsul Haque’s house.
According to the prosecution, when they arrived, Jasim and other accused attacked them with machetes, spears, iron rods and bamboo sticks on the instructions of Razia Khatun.
The three victims sustained serious injuries and later died while undergoing treatment.
The following day, Farida Akter, a relative of one of the victims, filed a murder case with Singair Police Station.
After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against 24 people on April 28, 2017.
The court delivered the verdict after recording testimony from 21 witnesses and completing the lengthy trial.