A Dhaka court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment in connection with the 2015 murder of Italian national Cesare Tavella in the city’s diplomatic zone of Gulshan.
Four other accused, including a senior political figure, have been acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The verdict was delivered on Thursday by Judge Sheikh Samidul Islam of the Dhaka Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court.
The three convicted individuals—Tamjid Ahmed alias Rubel (also known as Shooter Rubel), Minhajul Arefin Russell alias Bhagne Russell, and Russell Chowdhury alias Chakki Russell—were each handed a life term and fined BDT 50,000. In default of payment, they will serve an additional one year in prison.
Among those acquitted are former BNP joint convener of Dhaka Metropolitan North and ex-ward commissioner M.A. Kayum, his brother Abdul Matin, Shakhawat Hossain alias Sharif, and Md. Sohel alias Bhangari Sohel.
Cesare Tavella, a 51-year-old official of the Netherlands-based international development organization ICCO, was shot dead on the evening of September 28, 2015, while jogging in Dhaka`s Gulshan area.
The murder drew significant international attention at the time, occurring shortly after a wave of attacks on writers, publishers, and online activists in Bangladesh, which were attributed to extremist groups.
Investigators initially suggested that the killing was carried out to create an atmosphere of insecurity and damage Bangladesh’s international image.
While some suspects were arrested shortly after the incident, the alleged political links of certain accused made the case particularly high-profile.
With Thursday`s verdict, the court concluded years of legal proceedings, though questions about the broader implications and motivations behind the murder still linger.
