A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced three men to two and a half years in prison for killing 20 dogs in the capital’s Jatrabari area.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain delivered the verdict in the afternoon.
The convicts are Md Abul Khayer, Md Opu and Md Manik, said court bench assistant Saim Uddin.
The court sentenced each of them to six months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Tk1,000 under Section 16(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2019. In default of payment, they will have to serve an additional 15 days in jail.
Under Section 16(b) of the same law, each was also sentenced to two years’ simple imprisonment and fined Tk1,000, with an additional 15 days’ imprisonment in default of payment.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning each convict will serve a total of two and a half years in jail.
Convict Md Manik was present in court during the verdict and was later sent to jail. The court also issued arrest warrants against the other two convicts, who remain absconding.
According to the case statement, the incident occurred on 23 January 2021 in the Dhalpur Lichubagan area under Jatrabari Police Station.
The accused allegedly killed 20 dogs using iron rods, pliers and lethal injections before putting the bodies into sacks and removing them from the area.
They were later identified through video footage of the incident. The complaint also alleged that the accused threatened volunteers, including Animal Lovers of Bangladesh activist and case plaintiff Md Maruful Haque, during questioning.
Two days after the incident, Maruful Haque filed the case on behalf of Animal Lovers of Bangladesh.
Following investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against Abul Khayer Molla, Md Opu and Md Manik for their involvement in the killings.
On 21 May 2024, the court framed charges against the accused and ordered the trial to begin.
The verdict was delivered after the court recorded testimonies from three witnesses during the trial.
