HC upholds life term for 2 cops over custodial killing

The High Court (HC) has upheld a lower court verdict sentencing two former policemen to life imprisonment in a case over the custodial killing of a youth in the capital's Mirpur area in 2014. 

A High Court bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan delivered the judgment on Monday after hearing the criminal appeals filed by the convicts.

The court upheld life imprisonment for then Pallabi Police Station sub-inspector (SI) Zahidur Rahman Zahid, dismissing his appeal. It also upheld life imprisonment for the then assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Kamruzzaman Mintu, as he remained at large and did not file any appeal against his lower court conviction. 

The court, however, commuted the life imprisonment of ASI Rashedul Hasan to 10 years ' imprisonment.

The High Court acquitted police source Russel, who was sentenced to seven years ' imprisonment and fined Taka 20,000 by the lower court concerned. Another convict, police source Sumon, has already been freed after serving his seven-year jail term.

Senior advocate SM Shahjahan, advocate Sarwar Ahmed, Md Abdur Razzak, and Nazmul Karim moved the cases for the defence, while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Badiuzzaman Tafadar stood for the state. Advocate SM Rezaul Karim argued for the plaintiff.

According to the case documents, police sources Sumon stormed into a marriage function at Mirpur-11 on February 8, 2014, and started harassing girls there. Victim Ishtiak Hossain Jony and his brother Imtiaj Hossain Roky asked Sumon to leave the place immediately.

Sumon left the place, only to return the next day and again start harassing girls. When Jony and his brother obstructed him, Sumon called the police to arrest them. As police detained Jony and his brother Roky and were taking them to the police station, locals chased them, and police fired at the crowds.

After taking them to the police station, the accused cops beat Jony and his brother severely. As Jony fainted, they rushed him to the National Hospital. As Jony's condition deteriorated, police took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the attending doctors declared Jony dead.

Jony's brother Imtiaj Hossain Roky, on August 7, 2014, filed the case with the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court against eight, including the then officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station, Ziaur Rahman.

On April 17, 2016, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Kamrul Hossain Molla framed charges against the five accused.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes on September 9, 2020, sentenced three policemen to life imprisonment and fined them Taka one lakh each.

Zahidur Rahman Zahid, Rashedul Hasan and Russel appealed against their conviction with the High Court in 2020. The High Court on July 9, 2025, started hearing their appeals and came up with its judgment today.