The High Court has upheld the death penalty for the five convicts and life imprisonment for another for killing acclaimed photojournalist Aftab Ahmed in 2013.
An HC division bench of justices Jahangir Hossain and Md Bashir Ullah passed the order on Wednesday after hearing their appeal petitions.
On March 28, 2017, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 judge Abdur Rahman Sardar sentenced the five men to death and another to life imprisonment for the murder of Aftab.
The condemned convicts are Billal Hossain Kislu, Habib Hawladar, Raju Munshi, Russel and driver Humayun Kabir Molla. Of them, Raju Munshi and Russel were tried in absentia.
The lifer has identified as Sabuj Khan. The court also imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on him.
On December 25, 2013, Aftab of Daily Ittefaq, an Ekushey Padak recipient, was found dead at his West Rampura Wapda Road residence. He was 69.
Driver Humayun, Habib and Billal subsequently made a confessional statement before the court that the convicts had strangled the victim to death while committing robbery in his house.
Billal looted Tk 72,000 from his residence and shared the money with the others involved in the killing, according to police.
Aftab received the coveted Ekushey Padak in 2006.
