The High Court on Sunday acquitted five of the seven convicts sentenced to death for the murder of shrine caretaker Rahmat Ali in Rangpur, while upholding the death sentences of the remaining two.
The two whose death sentences were upheld are JMB commanders Masud Rana and Liton Mia.
A High Court bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Sathika Hossain pronounced the verdict on Sunday.
The five acquitted convicts are JMB members Ishaq Ali, Sakhawat Hossain alias Rahul, Sarwar Hossain Sabu alias Mizan, northern region commander Bijoy alias Ali alias Darji, and Chandu Mia.
Advocate SM Shahjahan represented the accused before the court.
Murder of Rahmat Ali
Rahmat Ali, 60, a caretaker of a shrine, was hacked and had his throat slit while returning home from the shrine at Chaitar Mor in Madhupur union of Kaunia upazila on the night of 10 November 2015.
The following day, his son Shafiqul Islam filed a murder case with Kaunia Police Station.
After the trial, Rangpur Special Judge Naresh Chandra Sarker sentenced all seven accused to death on 18 March 2018.
Six other accused were acquitted in the same verdict.
The case subsequently came before the High Court as a death reference for confirmation of the seven death sentences.
The convicts also filed appeals and jail appeals challenging the trial court verdict.
Following hearings on the death reference and the appeals, the High Court on Sunday upheld the death sentences of Masud Rana and Liton Mia and acquitted the other five convicts.
