A court in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday sentenced four accused to death and nine others to life imprisonment in the widely discussed murder case of Bangladesh Army officer Lieutenant Tanjim Sarwar Nirjon in Chakaria.
Five accused were acquitted in the case.
The verdict was delivered around 11:30am by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fifth Court) Mohammad Abul Mansur Siddiqui.
The convicts sentenced to death are Md Helal Uddin, Nurul Amin, Md Nasir Uddin and Morshed Alam. Among them, Morshed Alam remains absconding. All are residents of Dulahazara union in Chakaria upazila.
Security was tightened around the court premises ahead of the verdict, with additional police and law enforcement personnel deployed in the area.
After the verdict was announced, the convicted individuals were taken out of the courtroom one by one and sent to jail under strict security.
A large number of people, including relatives of the slain army officer, family members of the accused and journalists, gathered at the court premises centring the verdict. A tense atmosphere prevailed during the announcement.
Additional public prosecutor Advocate Khurshid Alam Chowdhury said the court delivered the verdict after lengthy hearings, an examination of witness testimonies, and a review of evidence.
He also said that several accused were sentenced to different jail terms in a related arms case.
“Among the 18 accused, 12 were present before the court. The court handed down the punishment based on evidence and testimonies,” he added.
Court sources confirmed that the case involved a total of 18 accused individuals. Police filed charge sheets in two different cases following an investigation.
Some individuals named in the original first information report were excluded due to lack of evidence, while several new names were included in the charge sheet.
The charge-sheeted accused included Jalal Uddin alias Babul, Helal Uddin, Mohammad Arif Ullah, Anwar Hakim, Ziabur Karim, Ismail Hossain, Nurul Amin, Nasir Uddin, Abdul Karim, Mohammad Sadeq, Anwarul Islam, Morshed Alam, Shah Alam, Abu Hanif, Enamul Haque alias Totla Enam, Md Enam, Kamal alias Vendi Kamal and Minhaj Uddin.
According to case documents, Lieutenant Tanjim Sarwar Nirjon, 23, was stabbed to death around 1:30am on September 23, 2024 while conducting an anti-robbery operation in the Purba Maizpara area under Dulahazara union in Chakaria upazila.
The incident triggered widespread reaction across the country and drew significant attention on social media and at the national level.
Two days after the incident, on September 25, senior warrant officer Abdullah Al Harunur Rashid of the Bangladesh Army filed a murder case against 17 people, accusing them of preparing for robbery and killing the army officer.
In the same incident, then sub-inspector of Chakaria police station Alamgir Hossain filed another case under the Arms Act. The investigation was later assigned to then inspector (investigation) of Chakaria police station Arup Kumar Chowdhury.
The case remained under nationwide attention from the very beginning.
Family members of Lieutenant Tanjim expressed satisfaction over the verdict, while defence lawyers said they would appeal against the judgment before the higher court.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Collected
