Driver sentenced to death for murdering employer in Badda

A Dhaka court sentenced a private driver to death for the brutal murder of his employer, Afroza Sultana, in the capital's Middle Badda area, describing the crime as one of the "rarest of rare" cases and a calculated betrayal of trust.

Judge Mohammad Moin Uddin Chowdhury of Dhaka's Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court-3 passed the order on Wednesday (July 29).

Confirming the judgment, Additional Public Prosecutor Md Zahirul Islam (Kaiyum) said the court found Md Hridoy Bepari, also known as Hridoy Mia, guilty based on witness testimonies, forensic evidence and other material evidence presented during the trial.

According to the prosecution, Afroza Sultana, a service holder, was found alone in her second-floor apartment in Middle Badda on March 13, 2022, when her personal driver slit her throat with a sharp weapon and fled with her gold ornaments. The following day, the victim's brother, Md Al Manjil, filed a murder case with Badda Police Station.

The investigation was conducted by a team from the Gulshan Division of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Investigators relied on CCTV footage, technology-based evidence, seized materials and the accused's confession to establish his involvement in the crime.

The investigation revealed that Hridoy had accumulated substantial debts through online gambling and had planned to rob his employer's jewellery to repay them. As part of the plan, he murdered Afroza before escaping with the valuables.

Based on information provided by the accused, investigators recovered the approximately nine-inch bloodstained knife used in the murder, 22.4 grams of looted gold ornaments, a bloodstained tissue, a vanity bag and Tk 600 in cash.

The prosecution said the post-mortem report, DNA analysis conducted by the CID Crime Scene Unit and other forensic examinations corroborated the evidence linking the accused to the crime. Hridoy also gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The prosecution examined 12 witnesses during the trial.

The court completed witness examination, arguments and trial proceedings within 30 working days after charges were framed.

In his observations, the judge said the convict had grossly abused the trust placed in him as a loyal employee by carrying out the murder in a cold-blooded and premeditated manner. Such a heinous crime, the court said, creates fear and insecurity in society, making the maximum punishment appropriate in the interest of justice.