Photojournalist Aftab murder: Death of five convicts upheld

PBC News:  The High Court on Wednesday upheld the death penalty of five accused and life imprisonment for another accused who were convicted of killing acclaimed photojournalist Aftab Ahmed in 2013.

A Division Bench of justices Jahangir Hossain and Md Bashir Ullah passed the order after hearing their appeal petitions, reports UNB.

Advocates SM Shajahan, Helal Uddin Molla and Shafiqul Islam stood for the petitioners, while deputy attorney general Samira Taranum Rabeya Miti represented the state.

On March 28, 2017, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 judge Abdur Rahman Sardar sentenced five men to death and another to life imprisonment for the murder of Aftab.

The condemned convicts are Billal Hossain Kislu, Habib Howladar, Raju Munshi, Rasel and driver Humayun Kabir Molla. Of them, Raju Munshi and Russel were tried in absentia.

The lifer was Sabuj Khan. The court also imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on him.

On December 25, 2013, photojournalist Aftab Ahmed of the Daily Ittefaq, an Ekushey Padak recipient, was found dead at his West Rampura Wapda Road residence. He was 69.

Driver Humayun, Habib and Billal subsequently made a confessional statements before the court that they had strangled the victim to death while committing robbery in his house.

Billal looted Tk 72,000 from his residence and shared the money with others involved in the killing, according to police.

Aftab received the coveted Ekushey Padak in 2006.