Dhaka court sentences trio to prison for killing 20 dogs

A Dhaka court has sentenced three men to two and a half years in prison each for the brutal killing of 20 dogs in Dhalpur of the capital.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Zakir Hossain delivered the verdict on Sunday, convicting the accused, Abul Khayer, Apu, and Manik, identified with a single name, under the Animal Welfare Act, 2019.

Saim Uddin, the court’s bench assistant, confirmed that the defendants were sentenced under two separate sections of the law.

Under Section 16(b), they received two years of simple imprisonment and a Tk 1,000 fine.

Additionally, under Section 16(a), they were handed six months of imprisonment and another Tk 1,000 fine.

As the sentences will run concurrently, the convicts will have to serve a total of two years behind bars.

Manik, who was present in court during the announcement, was immediately sent to jail.

The court issued arrest warrants for Khayer and Apu, who remain at large.

The case dates back to Jan 23, 2021, when the trio used iron rods, pincers, and lethal injections to kill 20 dogs in Dhalpur’s Lichubagan.

They then disposed of the carcasses in sacks. The perpetrators were later identified through video footage of the incident.

Maruful Haque, representing Animal Lovers of Bangladesh, filed the case on Jan 25, 2021.

The trial formally began on May 21, 2024.

After recording testimonies from three witnesses and concluding legal arguments, the court found the accused guilty of the animal slaughter.