This is the first time anyone has been given such high sentence in an extortion case, court sources said.

The convicts are Sub-inspector (SI) Imrul Haq, constable Syed Bazlul Goni and informers Zakir Hossain alias Zakir, Zahid Hasan alias Jibon and Shahidur Rahman alias Hiru.

Judge Mohammad Rabiul Hassan of the Court of Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge handed down the sentence in presence of Imrul, Jibon and Hiru.

Convict Goni and Zakir were on bail till 4:00pm yesterday but failed to show up at the court.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender, the court said.

The court gave the verdict after the cross-examination of 13 prosecution witnesses.

The convicts confined Bakul Talukder and Kamrul Hossain to a room at Hotel Shimla at Nawabpur Road in the city on June 29, 1995. They extorted Tk 41,000 and $2,500 at gunpoint. They also demanded Tk 70,000 from them.

Bakul filed an extortion case with Kotwali Police Station against them on the same day. The investigation officer pressed charges against them on September 23, 1996.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Ali Haider Kiron appeared for the state while Advocates Sheikh Hemayet Uddin defended the accused.

Another Dhaka court on August 24 sentenced Sergeant Julfiker Ali to five years rigorous imprisonment (RI). Julfiker was convicted of robbing a businessman of Tk 14.47 lakh in local and foreign currencies in June this year in Dhaka.