Prof Taher murder: SC upholds death sentences for two convicts

GBNews24 Desk//

High Court has upheld the death sentences of two convicts and the life imprisonment of two others in the 2006 murder case of Prof S Taher Ahmed of the Department of Geology and Mining at Rajshahi University.

A full appellate bench led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique made the decision on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.

The two sentenced to death are Dr Miah Mohiuddin, an instructor at the university’s Geology department, and Md Jahangir Alam, the caretaker of Taher Ahmed’s house.

The two who received life in prison are Abdus Salam, Jahangir’s brother and a former activist of Rajshahi University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Nazmul, a relative of Salam. They will, however, be able to submit petitions for a review of the decision.

The victim’s wife Sultana Ahmed, son Sanjid Alvi Ahmed and daughter Supreme Court Advocate Shagufta Tabassum Ahmed were present in the court to hear the verdict.

“Killing a person in order to prevent a promotion is an utterly heinous act,” said Attorney General Amin Uddin, who represented the state, after the decision was announced.

“For 16 years I fought for this,” said Sultana Ahmed. “I experienced a lot of grief and hardship. I am satisfied with the verdict. But I will only be completely satisfied when the sentences are carried out.”

“What the killers have done to us is unthinkable. In cold blood they came to my home when I wasn’t there, entered my drawing room, sat on my sofa and planned my husband’s murder.”

Taher Ahmed disappeared on Feb 1, 2006. At the time Taher’s children were living in Dhaka’s Uttara for their studies and their mother had gone to visit them, leaving the professor home alone.

His body was recovered from a sewage line near his residence two days later. Taher’s son Sanjid Alvi Ahmed filed a murder case with Motihar Police Station on Feb 3 of that year.