A Dhaka court has sentenced two people to death for killing Tejgaon College student Ikram Hossain Molla in the capital’s Khilkhet area in 2023.
The convicts are Md Siddiq, 23, and Md Shanto Mia, 22.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Faiz delivered the verdict on Sunday. The court also sentenced the convicts to seven years’ imprisonment and fined Tk50,000 each for concealing the body. In default of payment, they will serve an additional three months in prison.
Siddiq was present in court during the verdict, while Shanto remains absconding. A warrant has been issued for his arrest along with the sentence order, said court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain.
Victim Ikram’s father, Md Kabir Hossain, who was the plaintiff in the case, was present during the verdict announcement. Expressing satisfaction, he said, “I am happy with the judgment, but I will be truly happy once it is executed. My son was very talented, but they killed him.”
According to the case statement, on the night of 4 May 2023, Ikram was lured out of his home by his friends Shanto Mia and Siddiq under the pretext of returning borrowed money. They took him to the Bashundhara sandbank area between Patira and Dumni in Khilkhet, where they attacked him with a hammer and sharp weapons before killing him.
After the murder, they dumped the body in a nearby ditch and covered it with water hyacinths to conceal it. On 6 May, police recovered Ikram’s body from the spot.
Later, Ikram’s father filed a case with Khilkhet Police Station. Following investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against the accused on 26 November 2023. Charges were framed on 24 February 2024. During the trial, the court recorded testimonies from 17 out of 27 witnesses.
