The High Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of four members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for killing Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in 2005.

An HC bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice S M Masud Hossain Dolon pronounced the judgment.

The court acquitted one accused from the case charge.

The death row convicts are Rangpur region military commander of JMB Masud Rana Mamun, Ishaque Ali, Liton Mia Rafiq, Shakhawat Hossain, and Ahsanullah Ansari Biplob, fugitive.

Masud Rana, Ishaque Ali, Liton Mia are behind the bars.

A Rangpur court on February 28, 2017 awarded death sentence to five JMB militants for the killing of Kunio Hoshi. Besides, the court also fined them Tk 20,000 each.

Later, the convicts filed appeal petitions before the High Court against the trial court judgment.

On July 10, 2016, police pressed charges against seven members of the banned JMB in connection with the murder.

Of the charge-sheeted accused, Nazrul Islam alias Hassan alias Bike Hassan of Panchagarh district and Saddam Hossain alias Rahul alias Chanchal alias Sabuj alias Robi of Rajshahi district died in separate 'gunfights' in Rajshahi and Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area, respectively in 2016.

Kunio, 65, was gunned down by assailants near his farmhouse at Kachu Alutary in Kaunia upazila on October 3, 2015.