Narayanganj: A Narayanganj court awarded death sentence to twenty-six accused including former ward councillor Nur Hossain, former RAB officials—former lieutenant colonel Tarek Sayed Mohammad, former Navy’s lieutenant commander MM Rana, former Major Arif—in cases filed over the sensational seven-murder.

Narayanganj district and sessions judge Syed Enayetur Rahman announced the verdict in presence of 23 convicts at about 10:15am on Monday.

The judge started reading out the verdict in a crowded courtroom around 10:00 am amid tight security in and around the court premises.

Earlier, on 30 November, Syed Enayetur Rahman fixed the date for verdict after completing a hearing on the legal arguments in the cases.

The court also handed over different jail terms to nine other accused in the cases.

The other accused in two cases are RAB member Sub-inspectors Purnendu Bala, Assistant sub-inspector Bazlur Rahman and Abul Kalam Azad, Havildars Emdadul Haque and Nasir Uddin, Constables Shihab Uddin and Babul Hassan, ROG Arif Hossain, Lans Nayeks Hira Mia, Belal Hossain, Lans Corporal Ruhul Amin, Sipahi Abu Tayeb, Nuruzzaman, and Asaduzzaman Nur, and Nur Hossain’s associates— Mortuza Zaman Charchil, Ali Mohmmad, Mizanur Rahman Dipu, Raham Ali, and Abul Bashar.

However, abscondings are Nur Hossain’s assistants Selim and Shahjahan, Sanaullah Sana, Jamal Uddin, RAB member corporal Latifur Rahman, Soldier Mohiuddin Munshi, Al Amin Sharif, Abdul Ali, Tajul Islam, Sargent Enamul Kabir, Assistant sub-inspector Kamal Hossain, Constable Habibur Rahman.

On 8 April 2015, detectives pressed charges against 35 people, including the three sacked RAB officials and Nur Hossain in connection with the seven murders.

After the murder of seven people, Selina Islam, wife of Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, filed a case against six people while advocate Chandan Sarkar’s son-in-law filed another case.

Later, Shahidul Islam, Nazrul's father-in-law, claimed that RAB officials killed Nazrul and others in exchange for Tk 6 crore from city councillor Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the murder case, and other accomplices.

The three former officials of RAB-11 in Narayanganj were sent on forced retirement for their alleged involvement in the incident. They are now in jail.

Paschimbanga police went into hiding following the murders. He was eventually brought back home from India after being arrested along with his associates from an apartment in Kolkata on June 14, 2014.

On 27 April, 2014, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area.

At the same time, senior lawyer at the District Judge’s Court Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his driver were also abducted on their way to the capital.

Three days after their abduction, bodies of six men, including those of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakhya River. The following day, the body of Nazrul’s car driver Jahangir was recovered from the river.