A Lakshmipur court on Thursday sentenced nine people to life-term imprisonment for killing Omar Farooq, Awami League vice-president of Chandraganj union unit of the district in 2015.
District and Sessions Judge Court Judge Rahibul Islam delivered the verdict on Thursday afternoon.
The court also fined Taka 20,000 each, in default, they have to spend one more year in prison.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted four accused in the case as charges were not proved. None of the accused was present in the court during the verdict, all of them are on the run.
The convicts are - Md. Kawsar, Saiful Islam, Md. Siraj, Alauddin Alo, Md. Awal, Md. Raju, Md. Zaker, Md. Tuhin and Riaz Prakash Chita.The acquitted are - Md. Suman, Md. Sujan, Sajib Hossain and Milan
Prakash Mila.
According to court sources, due to politics, Omar Farooq had a conflict with his opponent political rival Jisan, top terrorist of BNP, in the area.
On December 6 in 2014, Jisan and his men shot Omar Farooq. Farooq returned home after treatment in a hospital in Dhaka for long. In the meantime, Jisan died in a gunfight with the security forces.
On the morning of September 1, 2015, neighbor Ismail Hossain came home and called Farooq. They were drinking tea in a shop near the house. The accused shot Omar Farooq and fled.
Later, Farooq was taken to Noakhali General Hospital where on-duty doctor declared him dead.
The next day, Fatema Begum, the wife of victim Farooq, filed a murder case against 9 persons named and 8 unknown persons in Chandagranj police station.
Later, police submitted charge-sheet against the 14 people in the court on September 10, 2016.
Meanwhile, the main accused in the case, Milan, died in a shootout with the law and order forces, so, he was acquitted from the case.
After examining witnesses, the court found them guilty and handed down the punishment today.
District Judge Court Public Prosecutor (PP) Jasim Uddin confirmed the matter.
