Sagira Morshed murder case verdict Feb 8

Court Correspondent :
Court will deliver thirty-five years’ old Sagira Morshed murder case verdict on February 8. The victim was killed in the capital’s Bailey Road area in 1989.

Judge Mohammad Ali Hossain of the Special Sessions Judge Court of Dhaka set the date after the prosecution and defense had concluded their arguments in the case on Thursday.

Sagira Morshed, 34, was gunned down by unidentified muggers in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in the Bailey Road area on July 25 of 1989.

Sagira’s husband Salam Chowdhury filed the case on the same day with Ramna Model Police Station against unidentified miscreants.

A rickshaw puller present at the crime scene identified two of the killers, but police had submitted the first charge sheet against one Montu.

First Additional Sessions Judge Abu Bakar Siddique on January 17, 1991, framed charges against Montu and testimonies of seven witnesses were later recorded.

But during the hearing, the prosecution alleged the name of Maruf Reza, close relative of then Home Minister Mahmudul Hasan, came up during the investigation and he was also arrested. But his name was mysteriously dropped from the charge sheet.

On July 2, 1991, a High Court Division stayed the order of further investigation and the trial procedure for six months. On the same occasion, the apex court issued show cause as to the order for further investigation should not be cancelled.

Earlier,the proceedings of the case was stayed by the High Court as Maruf Reza filed a petition, challenging the further investigation order.

A High Court Division consisting of Justice M Enayetur Rahman and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman cleared way for continuing the trial of murder case as it dismissed the rule that had stayed the trial proceedings on June 26, 2019.

The High Court Division Bench passed the order, asking Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct further investigation into the case and complete it within 60 working days.

PBI, after that, arrested the four, Sagira’s brother-in-law Dr Hasan Ali Chowdhury, his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda, Mahmuda’s brother Anas Mahmud alias Rezwan and contract killer Maruf Reza, and they confessed their role in the killing of Sagira.

The PBI submitted the charge sheet to the court 30 years after the sensational incident on January 14 of 2020 making 57 people as witnesses.

Later, Dhaka’s Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on December 2, 2020, framed charges against the four accused and the trial begun.
A Total of 17 witnesses testified in the case on different dates.