HC sentences two accused to death, acquits 10

The High Court has sentenced suspended principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa, Siraj Ud Daula, and Shahadat Hossain Shamim to death, handed life imprisonment to four accused and acquitted 10 others in the widely discussed murder case of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

The four accused sentenced to life imprisonment are Umme Sultana Popy, Mohammad Nuruddin, Shahadat Hossain Javed and Iftekhar Hossain Rana.

The 10 acquitted accused are Mohammad Shamim, Ruhul Amin, Afsar Uddin, Maksud Councillor, Hafez Abdul Quader, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Imran Hossain Mamun, Mohiuddin Shakil and Kamrunnahar Moni.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty and Justice K M Rasheduzzaman Raja delivered the verdict at around noon on Monday, 24 August.

The pronouncement continued for more than two and a half hours. The junior judge of the bench, Justice K M Rasheduzzaman Raja, read out the full verdict.

Senior lawyer Mansurul Haque Chowdhury, Advocate S M Shahjahan, Advocate Tajul Islam, Barrister S M Masud Hossain Dolon and Advocate Mohammad Shishir appeared for the accused.

Attorney General Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Deputy Attorney General Syed Ejaz Kabir represented the state.

The accused and relatives of the victim were present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered.
On 20 August, the High Court concluded hearings on the death references, appeals and jail appeals filed in the Nusrat murder case.

Earlier, the hearings on the death references, appeals and jail appeals began with the state presenting the case records, or paperbook.

On 10 June, the Chief Justice constituted the specific High Court bench to hear death references, appeals and miscellaneous matters related to cases under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on a priority basis. The two-member bench began its proceedings on 14 June.

According to case documents, on 27 March, 2019, Siraj Ud Daula, then principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa, called Nusrat to his office and sexually harassed her. He was arrested after a case was filed over the incident.

When Nusrat refused to withdraw the case, she was called to the roof of the madrasa on 6 April, where her hands and feet were tied, kerosene was poured over her body and she was set on fire. Nusrat died on 10 April that year while undergoing treatment at the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Following the arson attack, Nusrat’s elder brother Mahmudul Hasan (Noman) filed a case with Sonagazi Police Station. The case was later converted into a murder case.

On 24 October, 2019, the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered its verdict in the case, sentencing all 16 accused, including suspended principal Siraj Ud Daula, to death.

The 16 death-row convicts were Siraj Ud Daula, then president of Sonagazi upazila Awami League Ruhul Amin, Sonagazi Municipality councillor Maksudul Alam, madrasa teacher Hafez Abdul Quader, lecturer Afsar Uddin, madrasa student Nur Uddin, Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobayer, Javed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain Javed, Kamrunnahar Moni, Umme Sultana Popy alias Tuhin, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Imran Hossain Mamun, Mohammad Shamim and Mohi Uddin Shakil.

The case records, including the tribunal’s verdict, reached the relevant High Court section on 29 October, 2019, for the death reference and were registered as Death Reference No. 140 of 2019.

A paperbook was prepared on a priority basis for the death reference as the case was considered sensational. The accused also filed separate appeals and jail appeals.