A Cox’s Bazar court today sentenced four people to death and nine others to life imprisonment in the murder case of Army officer Lt Tanjim Sarwar.
The court also acquitted five accused in the case.
The verdict was delivered in the afternoon by Judge Mohammad Abul Mansur Siddiqui of the Cox’s Bazar Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-5.
Those sentenced to death are Md Helal Uddin, Nurul Amin, Md Nasir Uddin and Morshed Alam. Among them, Morshed remains absconding. All are residents of Dulahazara union in Chakaria upazila.
The verdict ended nearly a year and eight months of legal proceedings in the criminal case.
Following the verdict, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Jahangir said the young army officer was brutally killed while performing his duty in service of the country.
“His family, the Bangladesh Army, the state and the people all expected justice to be served,” he said.
He added that the court had not relied solely on allegations or one-sided testimonies. Instead, it examined witness statements, evidence, surrounding circumstances and the overall facts of the case before delivering the punishment for the four accused.
Another prosecution lawyer, Ahsan Sezan, said, “Lt Tanzim was a patriotic officer. He went there to protect people’s lives and property and to ensure public security. But he was brutally killed in the situation that unfolded.”
He said verdicts in both the murder and Arms Act cases were delivered today. Alongside the death sentences and life terms, 13 accused were also handed an additional 10 years in prison under sections 399 and 402 of the Penal Code.
Sezan said the prosecution was “reasonably satisfied” with the judgment. He noted that the judge had highlighted issues of social justice, public safety and discipline in his observations.
“The court also stressed that while ensuring punishment for the real offenders, it must equally ensure that no innocent person is convicted,” he added.
He further said the verdict was delivered after considering both the prosecution’s evidence and the defence’s cross-examinations. The full judgment regarding the five acquitted accused would be reviewed and further legal steps could be taken if necessary.
Meanwhile, several defence lawyers said they had been denied justice and would challenge the verdict before the High Court.
Tahsin Sifat, lawyer for the fifth and sixth accused, said they were dissatisfied with the ruling, particularly the life sentences and separate punishments under the Arms Act imposed on his clients.
Lt Tanjim Sarwar, 23, was killed around 1:30am on September 23, 2024 while conducting an anti-robbery operation in Purba Maizpara area of Dulahazara union.
Originally from Tangail, Tanzim had been commissioned from the Bangladesh Military Academy in 2022 and was serving in the Army Service Corps. His killing triggered nationwide outrage and mourning.
Two days after the incident, Senior Warrant Officer Abdullah Al Harunur Rashid filed a murder case against 17 people over the killing and alleged robbery preparations. In a separate case, Chakaria Police Station Sub-Inspector Alamgir Hossain filed charges under the Arms Act.
Later, Chakaria Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Arup Kumar Chowdhury was assigned to investigate the cases.
After completing the investigation, police submitted charge sheets against 18 people in the two cases. Several individuals named in the original complaint were dropped due to lack of evidence, while new accused were added based on the findings of the investigation.
