Dhaka, Bangladesh
Widow Minni among six sentenced to death

Focus on Rifat murder verdict

Widow Minni among six sentenced to death

News Report Victim's wife, Ayesha Siddiqa Minni, is among six young persons a Barguna court Wednesday sentenced to death for the daylight murder of Rifat Sharif in one of the most sensational cases of recent times. The widowed young housewife was convicted as she was proved 'mastermind' behind the murder, prosecution counsel quoted the verdict as saying. “Minni was the 'mastermind' behind that killing. We have been able to prove the charges framed against the accused and that is why got the judgement we expected. The rule of law was once again upheld by this judgement,” said state counsel Mostafizur Rahman Bablu. The court in its verdict noted that Minni had secretly married Sabbir Hossain Nayan alias Nayan Bond before tying the knot with Rifat Sharif, the prosecution side said. Nayan Bond was killed in a gunfight with police during the hunt for the runaways. "Minni along with Nayan Bond chalked out a plan to kill Rifat Sharif," the public prosecutor said quoting the court observations, adding that they executed the plan on June 26 last year in front of Barguna Government College in broad daylight. The other condemned convicts are Rakibul Hasan alias Rifat Foraji, Al Kaium alias Rabbi Akon, Mohaimenul Islam Sifat, Rezwan Alai Khan Hridoy alias Tiktok Hridoy and Md Hasan. They were also fined Tk 50 thousand each. Barguna District and Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order sentencing the six at around 1.50pm. The court started reading out the 200-page judgement at around 11.40am. The court also acquitted four other accused – Rafiul Islam Rabbi, Md Sagar, Kamrul Islam Saimun and Md Musa alias Musa Bond. The court came up with the judgement after examining 76 witnesses on 43 hearing dates. Victim Rifat’s father, Abdul Halim Dulal, expressed satisfaction over the judgement, saying, “I and all my family members are very happy over the judgement. I am expressing my gratitude to almighty Allah. I want to thank, on behalf of my family, all the people related to this trial.” Minni’s father, Mozammel Haque Kishore, however, expressed discontent over the judgement and said they would appeal against the verdict with the higher court. Minni, who had been on bail till Wednesday under her lawyer’s custody, appeared in the court along with her father in the morning. The other eight accused were brought from jail amid tight security. Advocate ZI Khan Panna, one of Dhaka lawyers who had gone to Minni's legal said, "Minni was implicated as accused to save the main assailant and his godfathers." He wouldn't' elaborate in immediate media reaction pending appeal. Of the 10 adult accused, Md Musa has been on the run all along. The court on January 1 framed charges against the 10 for directly participating in the brutal murder, plotting the crime and abetting in the killers' escape from the scene. Victim Rifat Sharif was hacked to death in broad daylight in Barguna on June 26. Police on July 16 showed his wife Minni, who was the main witness in the case earlier, arrested for her role in the incident. With agency, media inputs

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