5 siblings get life for murder in Netrakona

A court here yesterday sentenced five siblings to life imprisonment for killing a man in Kalmakanda upazila of the district in 1998.

The lifers are Tahmina alias Taknama, Dulal, Haidar, Chan Mia and  Raihan--sons and daughter of late Abdul Mannaf. 

Of them, Tahmina, Dulal and Haider were tried in absentia.

The court also fined the convicts Tk 20,000 each. In default, they are to suffer two years more in jail.

According to the prosecution, there was a dispute between Akhtar Ali, 30, son of Meser Ali of Panchgaon village, with his neighbour Abdus Salam over the ownership of a land at the village.

As a sequel to the dispute, Salam's supporters along with the convicts attacked Ahktar's house on November 25, 1998 and killed him.

Aruna Khatun, younger sister of Ahktar Ali, filed a case with Kalmakanda Police Station the following day.

Police pressed charges against 18 people on April 12, 1999.

After examining the case record and eight witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hamid pronounced the verdict. The judge acquitted 13 others as charges brought against them could not be proved.