The convicts with death are chairman of Nagarpur upazila Abdul Quddus, JCD leader Iqbal Kabir Ratan, Prince and Mohammad Rafiq while Arzu, Ripon and Nuru Miah were given life imprisonment.

Of the convicts, Quddus and Ratan were present in the court during the verdict while the rest were tried in absentia.

The court acquitted another accused Surya Miah as the charge brought against him was not proved.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 gave the verdict.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the date of their arrest or surrender and the convicts with death can appeal to the High Court within 30 days, the judge said.

Quddus and Ratan, now on bail were produced before the court at 11:45am and the judge took his seat at 12:05pm and read out the highlights of the 28-page judgement in 10 minutes.

Victim's brothers Abdus Salam, Abdus Satter, Humayun Kabir, wife Aleya Begum and sister Sufia Akhter were present in the court during the delivery of the verdict and they broke down in tears after hearing it.

Abdus Salam, complainant of the case, and victim's wife Aleya Begum expressed their satisfaction with the verdict. But they said they want quick execution of the verdict.

After the verdict, Quddus and Ratan said the complainant implicated them in the case to harass politically.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 24 out of 31 prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution story in brief is that victim Giasuddin, joint convenor of Jubo Dal Nagarpur thana unit, was shot dead by a group of assailants led by upazila chairman Abdul Quddus at about 2:30pm on June 16 in 2003 at Bharra Bazar at Nagarpur upazila while he was going to Tangail on a motorbike. The victim was killed following a dispute over establishing dominance in the area.

Later, victim's elder brother Abdus Salam filed a murder case with Delduar Police Station accusing Abdul Quddus and five others the next day. The investigation officer pressed charges against Quddus and seven others on December 2 in 2003.

The court framed charges against Quddus and eight others on August 29 last year and its trial began on September 2 the same year.

Special Public prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder appeared for the state while advocates Nazrul Islam, ABM Sharfuddin Khan Mukul and Shafiqul Islam defended the accused.