Families await justice in seven murder case
Families of the victims in the widely discussed Narayanganj Seven Murder Case formed a human chain on Monday, demanding the prompt execution of court verdicts.
The programme took place at approximately 11:00 am on the premises of the Narayanganj District Court, marking twelve years since the killings.
Despite the passage of more than a decade, the verdict in the case remains unimplemented, leaving victims’ families in a state of anger, frustration and uncertainty.
Participants in the demonstration, including relatives and local residents, urged the government to ensure justice is delivered without further delay.
On 16 January 2017, the District and Sessions Judge Court in Narayanganj sentenced 26 of the 35 accused to death, while the remaining nine received varying prison terms.
The accused subsequently filed appeals. On 22 August 2017, the High Court upheld death sentences for 15 individuals, including the principal accused Nur Hossain, former RAB-11 commander Tareq Saeed Mohammad, Major (Retd.) Arif Hossain, and Lieutenant Commander (Retd.) M. Masud Rana.
The sentences of 11 others were reduced to life imprisonment, while penalties for the remaining nine were upheld.
The case is currently pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, where appeals have remained unheard for nearly nine years.
Expressing her anguish, Selina Islam Beauty, widow of victim Nazrul Islam, said: “The brutal murders of 2014 were witnessed by the entire nation.
People saw how a criminal network led by Nur Hossain allegedly used members of the Rapid Action Battalion to abduct, torture and dispose of the bodies in the Shitalakshya River. The country stood by us then.
“We have lived for 12 years with grief and unbearable pain. Our only hope is to see justice served while we are still alive.”
Member of Parliament Abdullah Al Amin, speaking at the event organised by the Narayanganj District Bar Association, alleged links between the Osman family and several high-profile incidents in the district, including the seven murders and the killing of Twaki.
The victims in the case were Nazrul Islam, then councillor of Ward No. 2 of Narayanganj City Corporation and Panel Mayor-2; his associates Moniruzzaman, Tajul Islam and Liton; his driver Jahangir Alam; lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar; and Sarkar’s driver Ibrahim.
Two separate cases were filed with Fatullah Police Station by Selina Islam Beauty and Bijoy Kumar Pal, son-in-law of Chandan Kumar Sarkar.
According to case details, on this day in 2014, Nazrul Islam and four associates were returning to Dhaka after securing bail when they were intercepted around 1:30 pm on the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road in the Lamapara area by individuals believed to be members of RAB in plain clothes.
They were abducted along with their driver. Around the same time, lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his driver also went missing from the same route.
Three days later, on 30 April, six bodies were recovered from the Shitalakshya River. The following day, a seventh body was found.
The killings of the councillor, the lawyer and their associates sparked nationwide outrage and remain one of the most significant criminal cases in Bangladesh’s recent history.
