The verdict on the killing of Mohammad Kamal Hossain, a local unit leader of the Awami League, hit Almachi Begum so hard that she fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital.

The 70-year-old woman was waiting at her Noor Baks Lane residence -- frail and bleary-eyed, pinning hopes on the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court that the accused would be punished with death.

Vice-president of the ward 67 unit AL, Kamal was gunned down on August 15, 2000 in front of a pharmacy near his residence in Old Dhaka. A gang fired on Kamal at about 11:45pm when he was returning home with his elder brother Nazir Hossain. Three bullets hit Kamal killing him instantly.

Kamal's niece Ripa is frustrated too. "I did not expect such a verdict," Ripa told The Daily Star on hearing the acquittals of Jahangir Mohammad Adel, his two sons Zobayed Adel and Tareq Adel and two others, who were accused of their part in the killing.

Nazir, who filed the murder case, alleged that the accused were acquitted because of political pressure and non-cooperation of the public prosecutor.

"I saw the bullet that killed my brother was shot from the licensed gun of Jahangir Adel and the experts proved it to the court," Nazir said. "We will appeal to the High Court against the verdict," he added.

Additional Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Golam Mostafa Khan said he was successful in proving the charge beyond doubt. "But it's up to the court how it will take it," he said.

The murder case was filed against Jahangir Mohammad Adel, former deputy mayor of Dhaka and leader of Jatiya Party (Ershad), his two sons Tareq and Zobayed and Shahed Parvez nicknamed Pappu and Nitya Sarkar with the Kotwali Police Station. Police arrested Zobayed and Pappu but Zobayed was freed on bail.

In the First Information Report, Nazir mentioned that Tareq and Zobayed, Pappu and Nitya attacked them and killed his brother. They also attempted to kill him, he further mentioned.

The killing came a day after Kamal, son of Monnaf Mian, protested the hoisting of Pakistan's national flag atop the residence of Jahangir at Armanitola on August 14, Pakistan's National Day.

Kamal had a row with Zobayed over their stakes in the managing committee of Mahuttuli Free Primary School.