Dhaka court sentences one to death, three to life for pickup driver murder

A Dhaka court has sentenced one individual to death and three others to life imprisonment for the 2023 murder of pickup van driver Asadul Islam in the Hazaribagh area. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Nazmun Nahar Nipu, judge of the Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-16.

Defendant Raju Hawlader received the death sentence and a fine of 50,000 BDT. The three individuals sentenced to life imprisonment—Anik Hasan (alias Shanto), Sajal Mia, and Kawsar—were also fined 25,000 BDT each. While Hawlader was produced in court and sent to prison, the other three defendants remain at large; the court has issued arrest warrants for them.

The incident occurred on the night of June 13, 2023, near the RS Pump in Hazaribagh. According to the prosecution, the assailants attempted to rob Asadul Islam of his mobile phone and belongings. When he resisted, Hawlader stabbed him in the chest. Asadul Islam succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on June 19, 2023. The court reached its decision after hearing testimony from 16 out of 21 witnesses.