A Narayanganj court has sentenced three men to death for the killing of university student Md Wazed Simanto, who was fatally stabbed during a robbery in the city in December 2024.
Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge Md Abu Shamim Azad delivered the verdict on Monday, 17 August, in the presence of the three accused. The condemned men were identified as Anik, Akash and Chandi Babu. All three were present in court when the judgment was announced.
Court Police Inspector Abdus Samad confirmed that the three accused had been sentenced to death.
According to case documents and court proceedings, Simanto was a student of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the American International University-Bangladesh. On the morning of 12 December 2024, he left his home to attend university. At around 6am, while passing in front of Minnat Ali Shah Saheb’s shrine in the Dewbhog area of Narayanganj city, he was allegedly intercepted by a group of robbers.
The attackers stabbed Simanto during the robbery. After he fell to the ground with serious injuries, they allegedly took his mobile phone and Tk 1,800 in cash. The incident left him critically wounded.
Simanto was initially taken to Narayanganj General Hospital for treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for more advanced medical care. Despite treatment, he died at around 11pm on 14 December.
His death transformed what had initially been reported as a robbery into a murder case, drawing considerable attention in the local community. Simanto was the son of Md Alam Parvez of the Dewbhog area.
The court heard evidence from 24 of the 27 witnesses listed in the case. After examining the testimony of the witnesses, documentary evidence and other material presented during the trial, the court concluded that the charges against the three accused had been proved. The judge subsequently handed down the death penalty to each of them.
Case records also indicate that the three men had previously faced several cases involving allegations including robbery, murder and drugs. Their convictions in Simanto’s case have therefore drawn attention to concerns surrounding repeat offenders and street crime.
The killing also raised concerns over public safety, particularly for students and other residents travelling through the city during the early morning hours. For Simanto’s family, the verdict marks a significant stage in the pursuit of justice after a case that began with a violent robbery and ended with the death of a young university student.
The death sentences, however, are not immediately final. Under Bangladesh’s legal process, the condemned convicts retain the right to pursue appeals and other remedies available under the law before any execution can take place.
