In Bangladesh, a court has sentenced prime accused Narayanganj Councillor Nur Hossain and former Bangladesh Army Lieutenant Colonel Tarek Sayeed and 24 others to death in the 2014 Narayanganj multiple-murder case.

Two other former Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officials figure among those given death sentences. The verdict was delivered today by the Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge. Nine others have been given various terms in prison.

Tarek Sayeed Mohammad was the chief of Narayanganj-based RAB when the murders took place On April 27 2014, Narayanganj City Corporation panel Mayor Nazrul Islam and 5 of his associates were abducted from their car on the Dhaka-Narayanganj link-road.

Around the same time and from the same location senior laywer Chandan Sarker and his chauffeur were abducted from another car. Three days later their bloated bodies were found in the Shitalakhya river. The family had claimed that Nur Hossain had paid senior RAB officials in the local Narayanganj unit 60 million takas to carry out the murder. Nur Hossian had fled immediately after the killings but was detained in Kolkata and brought back to Bangladesh nearly 17 months later.

Both Nazrul islam and Nur Hossain belong to ruling Awami League. Security has been tightened in the court premises and at sensitive points both in Narayanganj and in the capital to avoid any untoward incident.