Dhaka: A speedy tribunal in Dhaka on Wednesday sentenced five people to death and four others, including two women, to different jail terms for killing former tax commissioner Abu Taher in 2015.

The condemned convicts are—Mohammad Nasir, son of Rustom Ali, and Mohammad Rubel Talukder, son of Zakir Talukder, both residents of Barisal, Mohammad Rustom, son of Sirajul Islam, a resident of Rangpur, Mohammad Amir Hossain, son of Matiur Rahman, a resident of Pirojpur and Mohammad Sohel Rana, son of Edris Ali, a resident of Rajbari district.

Of the five, Mohammad Rustom is on the run.

Four others convicts – Nur‐e‐Alam, son of Abdul Khalek, a resident of Madaripur, and Masud Miah, son of Riazuddin, resident of Dinajpur district, were sentenced 10 years’ imprisonment, while Selina and Nurjahan, domestic helps of slain Abu Taher, to two years’ jail each for assisting in looting the house.

Nur and Masud were fined Tk 10,000 each, in default, to serve one year more imprisonment while the two domestic helps Tk 1,000 each, in default, to serve one month more jail term.

Judge Abdur Rahman Sarder of Speedy Trial Tribunal‐4 handed down the verdict after examining 23 witnesses out of 43.

On March 2, 2015, a group of robbers entered the house of Abu Taher, 70, also a freedom fighter, in the capital’s Rampura by cutting window grills and held the family members hostage at gunpoint around 3:00am.

They also looted Tk 45,000 cash and 12 tolas of gold ornaments and other valuables worth Tk 6 lakh from the house.

The hoodlums also cut off the veins of Taher’s hand and fled the scene.

Taher was then whisked off to UnitedHospital in the city around 6:30am where doctors declared him dead.

Later, victim’s son ATM Ariful Haque filed a murder case with Rampur Police Station in this connection.

Sub‐inspector M Rafiqul Islam of Detective Branch (DB), also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge‐sheet on 6 January, 2016.