SI Akbar sentenced to death in Raihan murder case

A court in Sylhet has sentenced suspended sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan to death in the murder case of Raihan Ahmed, who died in police custody in Sylhet in 2020.

Two other accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, while three others received seven years in prison each.

Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Abdul Majid Munshi pronounced the verdict on Thursday afternoon. Advocate Mohammad Muminul Islam Momin, the state counsel, confirmed the verdict.

The two accused sentenced to life imprisonment are constables Titu Chandra Das and Harun-or-Rashid. The three sentenced to seven years are suspended assistant sub-inspectors Ashek Elahi and Hasan Uddin, and journalist Abdullah Al Noman.

The verdict was delivered nearly six years after the incident, following testimony from 61 witnesses. The 136-page verdict was read out between 2:30pm and 3:30pm.

Raihan’s mother expressed concern over the implementation of the verdict, saying it could be difficult because most of the accused had secured bail and were absconding. She demanded that Akbar and the other fugitives be brought back to Bangladesh and the verdict be executed promptly.

Raihan Ahmed was allegedly tortured at the Bandar Bazar police outpost in Sylhet on the night of October 10, 2020. He died the following day, October 11.

An investigation into a case filed by Raihan’s wife found evidence of torture, according to a police inquiry committee. Akbar, the prime accused, was arrested near the Kanaighat border on November 9, 2020. He was granted bail by the High Court on August 10, 2025, and went missing after being released from prison the following day.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the charge sheet to the court on May 5, 2021, naming Akbar and five others, including four other police personnel and journalist Abdullah Al Noman.