A Jhalakathi court on Wednesday sentenced five activists of banned outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death for killing lawyer Haidar Hossain.

Jhalakathi Additional Sessions and District Judge convicted Aminul alias Amir Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Murad Hossain, Billal Hossain and Sagir Hossain. Billal and Sagir are, however, now on the run.

Haidar Hussain was shot and killed by JMB activists on 11 April 2007 when he came out of a mosque in Jhalakathi town after the Esha prayers.

Earlier, JMB leader Shaikh Abdur Rahman, military commander Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai and five of their followers were hanged for killing senior assistant judges Jagannath Pandey and Sohel Ahmed in Jhalakathi town.

Jagannath Pandey and Sohel Ahmed were killed on 14 November 2005, and lawyer Haider led the prosecution against seven top JMB leaders accused of their killing.

Consequently, JMB activists threatened to kill Haider and on the 20th day after the execution of the JMB leaders on 21 March 2007, Haider was shot and killed.

On 12 April 2007, Tarek Ibn Haider, the only son of the dead lawyer filed a case with the Jhalakathi police without mentioning name of any accused.

Crime Investigation Department sub-inspector Mosharraf Hossain on 17 January 2010 submitted an investigation report on the case, accusing Aminul alias Amir Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Murad Hossain, Billal Hossain and Sagir Hossain.

After seven years, the verdict on the case was given on Wednesday.