Five people have been sentenced to death and three others handed down life term by a Bangladesh court for murdering a Hindu leader 13 years ago.
District and sessions Judge of Bagerhat S M Solaiman handed down the sentences in absentia yesterday as seven of the convicts were still on the run, court officials said today.
Nine people were acquitted in the case.
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Kalidas Baral, who was a lawyer by profession, was shot dead on August 20, 2000. He was the President of the District Puja Udjapon Parishad, central leader of Hindu, Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad and local leader of ruling Awami League.
"He was a victim of political rivalry...The rivals within the party had decided to kill him as they could not face him politically," a relative earlier said.
But his relatives said they were unhappy with the verdict. Baral's wife said she would appeal in a higher court against the judgment as more culprits remained beyond the justice.