Shawdesh Desk:

A Rajshahi court on Thursday sentenced nine people to death and 22 others to life term imprisonment for killing a leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in 2013.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Sessions Judge OHM Elias Hossain handed down the judgment.

The condemned convicts are—former councillor Munsur Rahman, Hasanuzzaman Himel, 38, Toufiqul Islam, 45, Mohasin, 50, Sairul, 26, Rajab, 35, Momin, 30 and Ariful Islam, 26. Of them, Momin and Ariful were tried in absentia.

The lifers are—Lal Mohamamd alias Lalu, 38, Mahabul Hossain, 42, Sattar, 45, Sazzad Hossain, 38, Bakhtier Alam, 35, Hasan Ali, 32, Masud, 35, Russel, 32, Raza, 32, Martuza, 30, Sumon, 30, Asadul, 22, Akhtarul, 25, Zaidur Rahman, 48, Farman Ali, 40, Joynal Abedin, 25, Raju ahmed, 28, Akbar Ali, 45, Samrat Hossain, 19, Tia Alam, 30, Azad Hossain, 35 and Masum, 26, Of them, Masum and Azad were tried in absentia.

The court also fined the condemned convicts Tk one lakh each and the lifers Tk 50,000 each.

According to the prosecution, Shahin Alam alias Shahin Shah, former general secretary of Rajshahi Court College unit Chhatra League was killed by the convicts on August 28, 2013.

Shahin was also the younger brother of No 1 ward councillor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Rajab Ali.

Nahid Akter Nahan, a Jubo League leader, lodged a complaint with Rajpara Police the following day.

Police submitted chargesheet against 31 people including the then No 1 ward councillor of RCC Mansur Rahman.