Death penalty handed to wife of murdered lawyer Rathis Bhowmik

Dipa Bhowmik was present in court on Tuesday when District and Sessions Judge ABM Nizamul Haque announced her verdict.

More than a hundred lawyers from the Rangpur Bar Association were in the courtroom when police produced Dipa in handcuffs before the judge.

On March 30 last year, Rathis went missing after leaving his home at Babupara on his motorcycle with another person in the morning, his family had said.

The disappearance of Rathis, who had been a prosecution witness of the International Crimes Tribunal, had caused a stir, leading the police to investigate possible links to militancy and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The Rapid Action Battalion then arrested Tajhat High School teacher Dipa and her two colleagues, Kamrul Islam and Motiar Rahman.

Following their arrest, Rathir’s body was found buried under sand in a construction site for a building owned by Kamrul’s brother on April 3.

The 55-year-old had been buried there for four to five days, officials said. Dipa told law enforcers that she had been involved in an affair, which was the cause for Rathis’ murder.

Police then filed charges in court against Dipa and Kamrul, saying the two killed Rathir so they can get married. Both were teachers at Tajhat High School.

Kamrul, who had been ill from diabetes and heart disease, died in jail on November 10, according to authorities.

Rathish was a special public prosecutor in the murder trial of Japan national Hoshio Kuni, law secretary of the ruling Awami League’s Rangpur District Committee, president of the district unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad, a trustee of the Hindu Welfare Trust and general secretary of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote in Rangpur.

The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. The son is a law student while the daughter is studying at night grade.

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2019...rathis-bhowmik