A Narsingdi court on Monday sentenced six people to life imprisonment for killing a trader in Narsingdi Sadar upazila in 2003.

The court also fined them Tk10,000 each, in default, to serve one year more in jail.

One of the accused was acquitted as the allegation against him could not be proved.

After examining records and questioning witnesses, Narsingdi Additional District and Sessions Judge AKM Mozammel Haque Chowdhury handed down the verdict.

The convicts are Anwar Hossain, 32, Mosharraf Hossain, 35, Firoz Miah, 40, Zilhas alias Julhash, 30, Sundar Ali and Akbar Ali, 42, of Kurerpar village in Narsingdi Sadar upazila. Of them, Mosharraf and Firoz were tried in absentia.

According to the prosecution, the body of Golap Hossain, a trader, was found cut up into 10 pieces on the bank of the Brahmaputra river in Kurerpar area on January 21, 2003, three days after he went missing.

The convicts gave confessional statement before the court.

Afterwards, police submitted charge-sheet accusing seven people.