Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 handed down the verdict in presence of 'killer' Abbas and seven others at a packed courtroom.

The other convicts with death are Mohammad Khorshed, Shahadat Hossain alias Shahadat, Monir Hossain alias Kiran, Ibrahim Khalil, Kazi Mohammad Ismail, Towfiq Alam Khan alias Pial, Sadequl Islam alias Sagor and Zakir Hossain.

The people who got life in jail are Mohammad Ayub, Sheikh Russell alias Baltu Russell, Rubel Hossain Howlader, Shakhawat Hossain, Nazmul Hossain alias 'Benga' Babu and Kamal Hossain. Of them, only Kamal was tried in absentia.

This is for the first time that a court delivered a judgement in one of the four cases filed for killing four DCC commissioners on different dates.

Earlier, Kala Jahangir was given death sentence for killing Advocate Habibur Rahman Mondol while 'killer' Abbas got 17 years' RI in an arms case.

The court acquitted Ripon Khan and Raquibul Bari as the charges brought against them were not proved.

The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender and the convicts with death can appeal to the High Court (HC) against the verdict within 30 days from the day of receipt of judgement copy, the judge said.

The victim's parents Waliur Rahman and Rabeya Begum and his wife Ferdousi Ahmed were present in the court during the delivery of verdict. They broke down in tears and expressed their satisfaction over it, but apprehended that the fugitives might attack them at any time.

The proceedings of the case were stayed for a long time following an order of the HC.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 16 prosecution witnesses.

Saidur Rahman Newton, DCC Commissioner of ward No 8 was gunned down by a gang of miscreants in the city's Dhanmondi on May 10, 2002. The victim's mother filed a murder case with Dhanmondi Police Station the same day.

During the investigation of the case, Ayub, Shakhawat and Rubel gave confessional statements to magistrates on different dates.

The detective branch (DB) of police pressed charges against Kala Jahangir and 19 others on February 28, 2004.

Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder appeared for the state while Syed Rezaur Rahman, Moslehuddin and Mohhamad Shahjahan defended the accused.

Three other DCC Ward Commissioners -- Binoy Sarker Bina of ward No 72, KM Ahmed Raju, of ward No 46 and Shahadat Hossain Sikder of ward No 44 -- were also killed on different dates.

The cases of the killings are pending with different courts of the city.