The convicts are Miraz Khalifa, Jafar Gazi and Nur Alam Howladar.

Judge Md Abdul Matin of the Barisal Speedy Trial Tribunal handed down the verdict in a crowded courtroom yesterday.

The judge said all the three accused were found guilty under section 9/3 of the Women and Children Repression Act, 2000 for causing injury to Tania, a college student, and raping her after abduction. The judge also said the three were also found guilty under section 302/34 of the Penal Code for conjointly murdering the victim.

Their double sentences to death shall run concurrently and be subject to confirmation by the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, the judgment added.

The verdict was announced after examining 38 witnesses, the autopsy report and confessional statements of the accused in 13 working days. Tania's parents, relatives, teachers and friends expressed their satisfaction on the verdict and demanded their immediate execution.

Earlier, human-chains, processions were organised and memorandums were submitted in Dashmina and Barisal demanding capital punishments to the killers. Processions were also brought out demanding immediate execution of the sentences after the verdict.

Tania Akter was a first year student of Dashmina Abdur Rashid Talukdar College. She was doing her studies from her uncle's home at Goalchini of Dashmina upazila.

On September 20 last years, Tania became missing as she did not return from a private tuition at the college. Her body was recovered on September 23 near a canal.

On suspicion police arrested Miraz and according to his confessional statement arrested Jafar and Nur Alam later.