A court in Sirajganj on Thursday sentenced five people to life imprisonment in three separate drug cases. Each of the convicts was also fined Tk10,000, in default of which they will have to serve an additional two months in prison.
 
Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Begum Laila Sharmin handed down the verdicts in separate cases at the court in Sirajganj in the afternoon.
 
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Shamsuzzoha Shahanshah confirmed the matter.
 
According to court sources, Md Manikur Rahman Manik, 25, son of Md Alam Hossain, and Md Ashik, 20, son of late Ashraf, both from Puratan Azampur village under Mirpur upazila of Kushtia, were sentenced to life imprisonment in a case filed with Salanga Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act. Both convicts are absconding.
 
According to the case documents, police conducted a search of a Shyamoli Paribahan bus travelling from Meherpur to Dhaka at around 1:20am on September 23, 2019.
 
The bus was searched in front of Haji Imran Ali Market near the Dhakabas stand on the Hatikumrul-Dhaka Highway under Salanga Police Station. Police recovered 47 bottles of Indian phensedyl and Tk23,500 in cash from a black travel bag kept between the two seats occupied by Manik and Ashik.
 
A case was subsequently filed with Salanga Police Station by Md Mostafizur Rahman.
 
In another drug case filed with Salanga Police Station, the court sentenced Md Abdur Nayan, son of Md Majed Ali of Gangeshibpur village under Godagari Police Station in Rajshahi, and Mamunur Rashid, son of Md Moizuddin of Faridpur village, to life imprisonment. They are also absconding.
 
According to the case records, a team of Rapid Action Battalion-12 conducted an operation in front of Porabot Tea Stall in the Ramarchar area of Salanga at around 8am on August 7, 2018.
 
During a search of a truck carrying mangoes, the law enforcers recovered 550 bottles of phensedyl, the mango-laden truck, three mobile phones and Tk5,665 in cash from the accused.
 
Meanwhile, another accused, Md Toffazzal Hossain, 45, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a drug case filed with Chauhali Police Station.
 
Hossain, son of late Nazrul Haque Sarker of Charshimla Bad Sarkarpara village in Chauhali upazila, is also absconding.
 
According to the case documents, police conducted an operation in the Simlabad area of Chauhali on November 27, 2011, and recovered 29 bottles of phensedyl and an old bicycle from his possession.
 
After examining the evidence and case documents and recording testimony over a prolonged period, the court delivered the verdicts in the three separate cases.