The court has sentenced 3 people including Aziz Mohammad Bhai alias Abdul Aziz to life imprisonment in the murder case of popular actor Sohail Chowdhury, who was murdered 25 years ago.
The other two accused are Trumps Club owner Afaqul Islam alias Bunty Islam and Adnan Siddiqui.
In addition to life imprisonment, the accused were sentenced to a fine of two lakh rupees each and 1 month’s imprisonment in default of payment of fine.

Arrest warrants have been issued against the convicted accused as they are absconding.

The remaining six accused were acquitted as the charges were not proved beyond doubt. The acquitted are Ashish Roy Chowdhury alias Bottle Chowdhury, Tariq Saeed Mamun, Farooq Abbasi, Sanjidul Islam Imon, Salim Khan and Haroon Or Rashid alias Leather Litton alias Boss Litton.

Judge Arunabh Chakraborty of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 announced the verdict on Thursday (May 9) afternoon.

On December 18, 1998, Nayak Sohail Chowdhury was shot dead by terrorists under the Trumps Club in Abedin Tower, Road No. 17, Banani. In that incident, Sohel Chowdhury’s brother Touhidul Islam Chowdhury filed a murder case at the capital’s Gulshan police station.

After the investigation of the case, on July 30, 1999, Assistant Police Commissioner Abul Kashem Bepari filed a charge sheet against 9 people.

The police investigation revealed that Sohail Chowdhury was killed by hired killers due to a dispute with businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Trump Club owner Bunty Islam.

On October 30, 2001, the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court of Dhaka formed charges against the accused and ordered the trial to begin. Challenging that order, the trial of the case was suspended in the High Court by an accused. After 21 years, the trial of the case started again in 2022 by order of the High Court.

The then inspector of police Farid Uddin took the important documents of the investigation of the case from the office of the Metropolitan PP with a request. Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) of the concerned court Sadia Afrin said that Farid Uddin did not return the case docket despite the court’s order.

According to the case documents, the Trump Club operated on the seventh floor of Abedin Towers in Banani. There was a Jame Masjid on the west side of the club. Several witnesses said in the deposition that anti-social activities including dancing and singing were going on in that club. Sohail Chowdhury took a stand for the local Muslims to stop the anti-social activities of the club.

That night, Sohail and his friends asked Banani’s Trump Club to stop playing. Sohail had an argument with Aziz Mohammad Bhai about stopping the music. At one point, Sohail Chowdhury got mad at Aziz. Sohail’s friend Kala Nasir then went to shoot Aziz Mohammad Bhai. A dispute started between them. The accused threatened to look after Sohail Chowdhury if the work of the Trump Club was disrupted.

Sohail Chowdhury’s mother Noorjahan Begum told the court that Sohail returned home at two o’clock on the day of the murder. Later, when Sohail went back to the club, the terrorists shot him twice and he fell to the ground. 15 to 20 days before Sohail’s murder, Aziz Mohammad Bhai and Bunty Islam’s men threatened to kill him over telephone.

The court accepted the testimony of 10 people before passing judgment in the case.