A Dhaka court has sentenced Akbar Hossain Shiblu to six months in prison for killing a pet cat belonging to a resident of Muktijoddha Tower in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.
Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir delivered the verdict on Wednesday (March 11) afternoon. In addition to the jail term, the court fined him Tk 10,000. In default of payment, the convict has to serve an additional one month of simple imprisonment.
Complainant’s lawyer Zakir Hossain said the accused was not present in court at the time of the verdict. As a result, the court issued a conviction warrant along with an arrest warrant against him.
According to the case documents, on February 5 last year, Nafisa Naurin Chowdhury, on behalf of the organization People for Animal Welfare Foundation, filed a complaint before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court. The court recorded the complainant’s statement that day and ordered Mohammadpur Police Station to investigate the allegation and submit a report.
After completing the investigation, police submitted a report stating that the allegation against the accused, Akbar Hossain, was found to be true. Based on the report, the court framed charges against him on July 14 last year and ordered the trial to begin.
According to the complaint, around noon on February 1 last year, a pet cat belonging to a resident named Mansur from the ninth floor of Muktijoddha Tower in Mohammadpur went missing. Later, CCTV footage from the building showed the accused, Akbar Hossain Shiblu, kicking the cat like a football. Even after the cat collapsed motionless from the blow, he reportedly stepped on it to ensure its death.
