Judge Mohammed Kawser of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court gave the verdict in their absence.

The convicts with death are Kanchan of Fatikchhari and Nuruddin Ahmed Chowdhury alias Sujan of Comilla while Suman of Chandpur, Sajjad Ahmed Al Imran of Noakhali and Roni of city's Lalkhan Bazaar were given life in jail.

According to the prosecution of the case, the convicts shot dead Musa, a student of Pahartali College, in a building at city's Nasirabad C&B Colony on February 5, 1996. They brought the body to the emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and fled.

Musa's maternal uncle Advocate Abdus Satter, also Public Prosecutor of Chittagong Metropolitan Court, filed a case with Double Mooring Police Station.

A charge sheet was submitted on August 21, 1996 in this regard and charges were framed against them on March 2, 2000.

The court pronounced the verdict yesterday after cross-examination of 17 witnesses.

Advocate Sattar expressed his satisfaction over the verdict and said he was happy as the killers were brought to justice.