KHULNA, Aug 25, 2026 (BSS) - A Khulna court has sentenced four people to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in a case filed over the kidnapping of a businessman.

Judge Manjurul Imam of the Khulna Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal pronounced the verdict on Monday afternoon.

The convicted persons are Saiful Islam Molla, Hojifa Al Bari, Md Rana Beg and Raju Sheikh.

The court also fined each of the convicts Tk 10,000, with three months' additional imprisonment in default of payment.

Confirming the verdict, court bench assistant Md Mazaharul Islam said the court awarded the convicts the same punishment under another section of the case. However, the sentences will run concurrently.

According to court sources, the victim, Md Niru Molla, is a businessman and owner of Molla Filling Station in the Bijoypasha area of Gopalganj Sadar.

On February 8, 2022, around 6:30am, Niru left his home for Khulna in his private vehicle with driver Raju Sheikh to purchase fuel oil.

At around 7:45am, when the vehicle reached the Mayur Residential Area under Harintana Police Station in Khulna, a group of eight to nine people on motorcycles intercepted the vehicle.

The kidnappers allegedly forced the businessman out of the vehicle, assaulted him and took him to an unknown location.

During his captivity, the victim was allegedly asked to pay Tk 5 crore as ransom.

The kidnappers also threatened to kill him and conceal his body if the money was not paid. Fearing for his life, the businessman agreed to pay Tk 50 lakh.

The victim's family later contacted RAB. On the same day, at around 4:30pm, the victim was rescued from a microbus in front of the house of one Ahid in Al-Aqsa Nagar village under No. 3 Gutudia area of Harintana Police Station.

Following the incident, the businessman filed a case against six people on the same day.

On August 31, 2022, Sub-Inspector Milon Kumar Maitra, the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against the accused.

The court, after completing the trial, delivered the verdict against the four convicts.