Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Fifth Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka, handed down the verdict in a packed courtroom.

Those awarded death penalty are Saiful, Marfat Ali, Hazrat Ali, Amani, Yusuf Chowkidar, Faruq and Harun.

The lifers are Manur Uddin, Mostafa, Shahid, Shahin, Liton, Enayet alias Ena, Korban Ali, Rafiq, Elahi Member and Nasir Uddin alias Nasu.

Hazrat Ali, Amani,Yusuf Chowkidar, Ena, Korban, Rafiq, Elahi and Nasu were present in the court during the delivery of the judgement, while the remaining 10 were tried in absentia.

The court also acquitted 19 other accused as the charges brought against them were not proved.

The convicts, who received the death sentence, can appeal to the High Court (HC) against the verdict within seven days from the date of receipt of the judgement copy and the punishment to the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender, the judge said.

After cross-examination of 18 prosecution witnesses, the court gave the verdict.

Ratan was knifed to death at his Dighirpar farm in Keraniganj on January 24, 1995 by the accomplices of Momtaj, owner of another poultry farm in the area.

During the investigation of the case, Hazrat, Harun, Faruq, Yusuf and Marfat gave confessional statements to magistrates, saying they killed Ratan over the previous enmity with their owner Momtaj.

Earlier, the case was transferred to three courts for its disposal and the first date of its verdict was fixed on February 29, 2000 and the second on January 19 last year.