Azam Reza, a former bank official, was sentenced to death in the sensational Jayanti Reza, Azam’s wife, killing case.( The New Age BD )

The judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4, Dhaka, AR Mashud, handed down the verdict in a crowded courtroom on Monday, the 110th working day of the trial.

Azam killed his second wife, Jayanti Munsi alias Jayanti Reza, also an architect-cum-teacher of the Australian International School, at their Banani residence in the capital on early January 9, 2004 over a feud of his extra-marital relation with a television actress.

The police had recovered her body hanging from the ceiling fan in the afternoon.
Azam claimed that Jayanti had committed suicide, but the forensic report revealed that Jayanti was tortured to death and the body bore injuries.

Jayanti’s mother, Lusil Sadekin, filed a case with the Gulshan police on January 10 accusing Azam. The case was later handed over to the Detective Branch of the police who submitted the charge sheet before the court on March 27 against Azam only.

The government declared the case a sensitive one and sent it to the speedy trial tribunal where trial began on August 16. Thirteen witnesses out of 20 were examined during the trial.

‘Azam killed Jayanti to pave the way for his extra-marital relations with an actress although his first wife is alive and they have three children. So he be awarded the highest punishment,’ observed the court.

The extra-marital affair between Azam and the actress was against both social and religious cultures,’ it observed. After hearing the judgement Jayanti’s mother and sister, Swati, burst into tears. They expressed their satisfaction over the judgement.