BARGUNA,  – A Barguna court today sentenced six persons, including victim’s wife Ayesha Siddiqa Minni, to death in the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case.

The other death-row-convicts are- Rakibul Hasan alias Rifat Foraji, Al Kaium alias Rabbi Akon, Mohaimenul Islam Sifat, Rezwan Alai Khan Hridoy alias Tiktok Hridoy and Md Hasan. They were also fined Taka 50 thousand each.

Barguna District and Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order, sentencing the six at around 1.50pm. The court started reading out the 200-page judgement at around 11.40am.

The court also acquitted four other accused – Rafiul Islam Rabbi, Md Sagar, Kamrul Islam Saimun and Md Musa alias Musa Bond.

The court came up with the judgement after examining 76 witnesses on 43 hearing dates.

“Minni was the mastermind behind that killing. We have been able to prove the charges framed against the accused and that is why, got the judgement we expected. Rule of law was once again upheld by this judgement,” said state counsel Mostafizur Rahman Bablu.

Victim Rifat’s father Abdul Halim Dulal expressed satisfaction over the judgement, saying, “I and all my family members are very happy over the judgement. I am expressing my gratitude to almighty Allah. I want to thank, on behalf of my family, all the people related to this trial.”

Minni’s father Mozammel Haque Kishore, however, expressed discontent over the judgement and said they would appeal against the verdict with the higher court.

Minni, who was on bail till today on his lawyer’s custody, appeared in the court along with her father in the morning, while the other eight accused were brought from jail amid tight security. Of the 10 adult accused, Md Musa was on the run all along.

The court on January 1 framed charges against the 10 for directly participating in the brutal murder, plotting the crime and helping the killers to escape the scene.

Victim Rifat Sharif was hacked to death in broad daylight in Barguna on June 26. Police on July 16 showed his wife Minni, who was the main witness in the case earlier, arrested for her role in the gruesome murder.