A Narayanganj court on Thursday sentenced a man to death and 18 others to life imprisonment for killing a young man over protesting drug selling in Narayanganj in 2012.

Narayanganj District and Session Judge Mominul Islam announced the verdict.

The convict is identified as Tawlada alias Zahirul, 48, son of Afsar Uddin while the lifers were identified as Mizan, 35, Md Ali, 38, Abdul Latif, 65, Hanif, 36, Sohel, 50, Sabuj, 35, Milon, 41, Selim, 43, Golzar, 39, Leda Faruk, 40, Russel, 40, Momen, 38, Saddam, Shahin, 39, Ruhul Amin, 38, Abul, 38 and Pandit, 43.

Among them, Md Ali was present at the dock while the others tried in absentia.

According to the prosecution, Nazrul Islam Babu, son of Jalal Mia of Masimpur in Rupganj upazila, was stabbed to death by the convicts on 31 May 2012 for obstructing drug sales.

A case was filed in this connection.