A Dhaka court yesterday handed down death sentence to two for killing a 15-year-old girl in Manikganj on June 6 last year.

The convicts of Lipi Akhter murder case are Abdur Rahim, now behind bars, and Arshad Ali, tried in absentia.

Judge AR Masud of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 also fined Rahim and Arshad Tk 1 lakh each and directed the collector (district magistrate of Manikganj) to realise the fine from them and hand that over to Lipi's father.

The convicts can appeal to the High Court against the judgement in 30 days and the punishment of fugitive will be effective from the day of his arrest or surrender, the judge said.

The court has acquitted six others -- Nur Hossain, Azahar, Awlad Hossain, Shahed Ali, Shukur Bepari and Dalil Uddin -- as charges brought against them could not be proved.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their argument and the court recorded statements of 15 witnesses.

In the case filed with Singair Police Station, Lipi's father Joynal Abedin Bepari alleged Arshad demanded a huge amount of money as dowry after he made a marriage proposal for his daughter. Arshad and Lipi had a love affair, he said, adding he turned down the proposal, as he could not manage the sum.

Angered by the refusal, Arshad's friend Rahim, a neighbour of Lipi, kidnapped her when she was going to Nasir's house to watch TV. He took her to the other side of the Dhaleswari river and handed her over to Arshad.

Learning about the abduction, Joynal searched for her daughter and found her rotting body five days later on a field by the bank of the river.

He had filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act accusing Rahim, Arshad and six others.