Rakib Hawlader issue, High Court on Tuesday reduced the death sentence of Md Shorif and Md Mintu Khan to life terms for killing 12-year-old child Rakib in Khulna on August 3, 2015.

A bench of Justice Jahangir Hussain Selim and Justice Jahangir Hossain reduced the death sentence saying that the convicts tried to save a life of the victim after committing the offence.

The court also observed that they had no previous criminal records.

The duo was fined Tk 50,000 each and the jail authorities were directed to send the money as compensation to the heir of the victim.

The death of Rakib, the worker of a motorcycle repair workshop, was caused by pumping air through his rectum using a workshop compressor only because he changed his workplace for the better wage.

On November 8, 2015, the metropolitan sessions judge in Khulna handed death sentences to Shorif, owner of Shorif motor workshop, Mintu and his employee for Rakib’s killing and sent the case record to the High Court for confirmation of the sentences.

The trial court acquitted Shorif’s mother Beauty Begum of the charge.

Shorif and Mintu later filed a separate appeal challenging their convictions.