2 police personnel among 3 sentenced to life for DB source murder

A Dhaka court has sentenced three individuals, including two police personnel, to life imprisonment for the murder of Detective Branch (DB) source Jalal Ahmed Shafi, a case dating back 27 years involving an incident inside the DB office on Mintu Road.

The convicts are Habildar Md. Billal Hossain, Constable Md. Abdur Rouf and DB canteen director Md. Anwar Hossain.

Judge Mosaddek Minhaj of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka delivered the verdict last Thursday. 

However, the information was confirmed by court officials on Sunday. 

As all the accused are currently absconding, the court has also issued arrest warrants along with the sentences.

According to the case details, Jalal Ahmed Shafi was a microbus driver who frequently worked as a source for the Detective Branch. 

He was killed on March 25, 1999, inside the DB premises, after which his body was concealed.

Following the recovery of his remains, two separate cases were filed; one by the police and another by the victim’s son, Abbas Uddin.

Investigations revealed that Jalal worked as an informant for DB Inspector Ziaul Ahsan, providing intelligence on gold and drug smuggling activities at the airport. 

The dispute reportedly began when the accused officers misappropriated seized contraband and denied Jalal his share.

Tensions escalated when Jalal allegedly provided information to a rival DB team about a gold smuggling ring. 

In response, the accused reportedly lured him from his residence on March 19, 1999, and later killed him.

The formal charge sheet in this long-running case was submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in December 1999.

TZ