[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 26



BANGLADESH:

Youth to die for killing couple in Mymensingh


A Mymensingh court yesterday sentenced a youth to death for killing a couple in 
the town in 2014.

The death penalty awardee is Golam Mustafa Mithu, 25, son of Abu Zafar of 
Chhoykhada village under Kotchandpur upazila of Jhenidah district and a 
5th-year student of fashion design at Rumdo Institute of Modern Technology in 
the district town.

The court also fined him Tk 20,000. In default, he is to suffer 6 months more 
in prison, court sources said.

The couple, Abdul Haque, 70, a retired postmaster, and his wife Rayhatunnessa, 
65, retired headmistress of Akua Government Primary School, hailed from Dhamail 
village under Gafargoan upazila of Mymensingh district. They had been living in 
their 3-storied building in the town. Their 2 sons stay in Dhaka.

According to the case statement, Mithu hacked the couple to death at their Akua 
Garurkhuar residence on the night of July 12, 2014. During interrogation, he 
confessed to killing the couple for money, said Abu Md Fazlul Karim, the then 
officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.

Mithu got acquainted with the couple through his sister, who used to be a 
tenant there 4 years ago, police said. On several occasions, Mithu demanded Tk 
50,000 in loan from the couple to pay his college fees and other expenses, 
police said.

On the night of July 12, Mithu went to the couple's house around 10:00pm and 
asked for the money again. When they refused, he hit Rayhatunnessa on her chest 
and neck with a machete, police said. When Abdul Haque came to her rescue from 
the adjacent room, Mithu attacked him with the machete.

Hearing screams, Neighbours rushed to the spot and caught Mithu when he was 
trying to run away. They found the bodies of the couple lying in a pool of 
blood on the 1st floor of the house. Police later recovered the bodies and 
seized the machete used in the killing.

The victims' son Hasibul Haque Rana lodged a case with Kotwali Police Station 
the following day.

After investigation, sub-inspector Shibirul Islam of Kotwali Police Station, 
pressed charges against Mithu on September 9, 2016.

After examining the witnesses and case record, Judge Dr Md Amir Uddin of 
Mymensingh District and Sessions Judge's Court handed down the verdict.

(source: The Daily Star)