A Naogaon court on Wednesday sentenced three people to life imprisonment and eight others to varying jail terms for the murder of three individuals over a land dispute in Porsha upazila of Naogaon district 22 years ago.
Judge Mohammad Ferdous Wahid of the Naogaon Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-1 handed down the verdict, said Additional Public Prosecutor Sabbir Ahmed.
The convicts sentenced to life are Abu Bakar Siddique, son of Fazlur Rahman; Amir Ali, son of Sajeman Ali; and Abdul Kadir alias Kader, son of Hossain Ali — all from Kalaibari village in Porsha upazila. Each was also fined Tk 50,000, in default of which they will serve one more year of rigorous imprisonment.
The court also sentenced eight other accused to different jail terms, while acquitting four as the charges against them could not be proven.
Among them, Durul Huda, Aliam alias Alam, Abul Kashem, and Wazed Ali were sentenced to five years in jail and fined Tk 10,000 each, in default of which they will serve six more months in prison.
Tariqul Islam, Rezaul Karim, and Abul Kalam were each sentenced to one year in jail.
According to the prosecution, on August 30, 2003, the convicts attacked their rivals with sharp weapons in the mango orchard of Abdus Samad in Kalaibari village over a land dispute, leaving eight people injured.
The injured were first taken to Porsha Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where Shafiqul Islam (brother of Abdus Samad), his sister Selina, and daughter Nargis succumbed to their injuries.
A case was filed against 26 individuals in connection with the incident.