DHAKA, Feb 16, 2022 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today upheld death sentence of two people convicted in a case lodged over murder of two people including Awami League leader and Suvodanga Union Parishad (UP) chairman Golam Rabbani in 2000. 

   A three-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique pronounced the judgment after holding hearings on criminal appeals of the two convicts Mohammad Abdul Gafur and Faruq alias Fartun. 

   "Criminal Appeal No 92 of 2014 and 56 of 2014 are dismissed," the apex court judgment said. 

   The Appellate Division however, commuted death sentences of another two convicts Mohammad Setabuddin and Saman alias Samad to life imprisonment. 

   According to the case documents, members of the once notorious Sarbahara Group slaughtered Golam Rabbani on January 16, 2000. They killed another man named Ayub Ali as the villagers tried to resist them. 

   Rajshahi Additional Session Judge's Court-2 in 2005 sentenced six people to death and five to life imprisonment in the case. The High Court in 2010, upheld death sentences of the six convicts but acquitted the five, who were initially sentenced to life imprisonment.

  After that four convicts filed appeals with the Appellate Division, while convict Bikash Kumar Sarker is still on run and never appealed against his trial and conviction in absentia.

 Another convict Matiur Rahman Montu died while on run.