A special court in Dhaka has concluded a protracted judicial process lasting over two decades, sentencing six individuals to life imprisonment for the 2004 murder of Naeem Shikder Bindu. The verdict was delivered on Sunday, 3 May 2026, by Judge Zakaria Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-6. The case, originating from the Shyampur area, highlights the procedural complexities often encountered in long-term criminal litigation within the Bangladeshi legal framework.
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Judicial Findings and Sentencing
The court found six defendants guilty of the homicide. The convicted individuals are:
Shamim Hossain Shikder
Shahidul Islam (alias Thotkata Ripon)
Shahid (alias Driver Shahid, now deceased)
Shahid Hossain (alias Senchu)
Dulal (alias Kala Dulal or Zakir Hossain)
Aminul Islam
Fakir Zahidul Islam, the Senior Bench Assistant, confirmed that each convict has been fined 20,000 BDT. Failure to settle this penalty will result in an additional year of simple imprisonment.
A significant procedural aspect of this ruling was the sentencing of Driver Shahid, who is now deceased. The court maintained that a verdict must be delivered if guilt is established during the trial, regardless of a defendant’s demise. Of the six, only Aminul Islam was present in court; he was immediately taken into custody. The other five remain absconding, and the court has issued fresh arrest warrants alongside their conviction warrants.
The 2004 Homicide: Context and Execution
The motive for the murder was a long-standing political rivalry involving municipal commissioner elections. The victim, Naeem Shikder Bindu, was a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Investigations revealed that he had been subjected to multiple death threats from the accused prior to the assassination.
The fatal attack occurred on 16 November 2004, at approximately 7:15 pm, in front of “Golden Hair Dressers” at Kalimullah Bagh Bottola, Shyampur. The assailants opened fire, killing Naeem instantly. The following day, the victim’s wife, Sabina Yasmin, initiated legal proceedings at Kadamtali Police Station, naming eleven suspects in the First Information Report (FIR).
Investigative Transfers and Procedural History
The investigation was marked by several transitions between agencies due to initial lack of progress:
Local Police: Initial handling resulted in stagnation regarding the identification of perpetrators.
Detective Branch (DB): The case was transferred to the DB, which corroborated the murder but cited insufficient evidence to proceed against the FIR-named suspects, eventually submitting a final report to the court.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID): Displeased with the DB’s findings, Sabina Yasmin filed a ‘Naraji’ (no-confidence) petition. This led to the CID taking over the probe.
The CID breakthrough came on 29 September 2010, when Inspector Manjurul Rahman Bhuiyan submitted a formal charge sheet. However, it took until 30 October 2014 for the court to formally frame charges and commence the trial.
Trial Proceedings and Final Verdict
Over the course of the trial, the prosecution produced 18 witnesses to support the charges. The proceedings were significantly delayed by the fugitive status of most defendants, which limited their participation in self-defence hearings.
While the sole present defendant, Aminul Islam, maintained his innocence and requested an acquittal, Judge Zakaria Hossain ruled that the collective evidence was sufficient for a conviction. This verdict concludes a case that navigated three different investigative bodies over twenty-two years. Law enforcement agencies are now tasked with the apprehension of the five fugitives to execute the court’s sentence.