A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced three men to death for killing North South University student Saidur Rahman Payel.
 
Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Abu Zafar Mohammad Kamruzzaman handed down the verdict in presence of the convicts.
 
The convicts are -- ‘Hanif Paribahan’ bus driver Jamal Hossain, his assistant Foysal Hossain and supervisor Md Jony.
 
Fifth semester NSU student Payel, son of Golam Mawla of Halishahar in Chattogram, was found dead in a canal at Bhaterchar in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj on July 23, 2018.
 
A case was filed against three people, the driver, helper and supervisor of ‘Hanif Paribahan’ bus, at Gazaria Police Station the next day.
 
Jony, the supervisor, confessed to his involvement in the killing after his arrest from Motijheel. Police later arrested bus driver Jamal and helper Faisal from Arambagh in the capital.
 
On April 2 last year, a tribunal framed charges against the trio and finished hearing arguments on October 4.
 
On July 25, 2018, Jony gave a detailed account of the murder. He told the court that the Dhaka-bound bus from Chattogram was stuck in a tailback at Bahterchar on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in the early hours of July 22, 2018.
 
At that time, Payel got down from the bus to respond to the call of nature. As the bus started moving when the traffic jam eased, Payel started running to catch the bus.
 
The driver eventually stopped the bus but Payel’s head was smashed after it got stuck in the gate and he fell onto the road. He was unconscious and bleeding from his mouth and nose.
 
Later, the supervisor informed the bus driver about the situation. After a brief discussion, the trio threw Payel into the canal from a nearby bridge around 4:30am while he was still breathing.
 
Other passengers on the bus were asleep at the time of the incident.
 
The autopsy report said Payel drowned after being thrown into the canal.