The High Court of Bangladesh has declared on Tuesday the verdict on death references (death penalty) and appeals of most mooted seven murder case in Narayanganj.
A Bench comprising justices Bhabani Prasad Singh and Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam go through the verdict today at 10:35 am.
The judgment of the lower court against the accused in the seven murders case will remain in the High Court, whether or not the decision will be known today.
7 dead bodies were found in Narayanganj in 2014
On July 26, after the hearing on the death reference and appeal of the accused, the date of the same Bench verdict was kept 13 August. On the date of the verdict, on August 22, the court gave a new date.
The District and Session Court of Narayanganj declared a verdict regarding the case of seven murders on July 16 this year.
The court gave death sentence to 26 people, including former RAB officials and former Narayanganj counselor Nur Hossain and nine associates of his accomplices. Apart from this, nine former RAB workers were given stringent imprisonment for different periods.
The convicts are former councilor and Awami League leader Nur Hossain, former RAB-11 former lieutenant colonel (retired) Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, former two company commander Major (retd) Arif Hossain, Lt. Commander (ex-officio) M Masud Rana, Habildar Md. Emdadul Haque, ABM Arif Hossain, Lance Nayek Heera Mia, Lance Naik Belal Hossain, Sepoy Abu Tayeb Ali, Constable Md. Shihab Uddin, SI Purnendu Bala, soldier Asaduzzaman Noor, Sainik Abdul Alim, Sainik Mohiuddin Munshi, Sainik Al Amin, Sainik Tajul Islam, Sergeant Enamul Kabir, Noor Hossain’s associate Ali Mohammed, Mizanur Rahman, Raham Ali, Abul Bashar, Mortuza Zaman, Selim, Sanaullah, Shahjahan, and Jamaluddin.
Five survivors of the death penalty are fugitives. They are Sainik Mohiuddin Munshi, Sainik Al Amin, Sainik Tajul Islam, Nur Hossain’s Assistant Sanaullah and Shahjahan.
Those, who are convicted for ten years rigorous imprisonment are Lance Corporator Ruhul Amin, ASI Bazlur Rahman, Sainik Nuruzzaman, Constable Babul Hasan, ASI Abul Kalam Azad, Constable Habibur Rahman, Habildar Nasir Uddin, Corporator Mokhlesur Rahman and ASI Kamal Hossain while rest two are fugitives.
Those officers and members of the RAB who sentenced to death by the lower court, including the death penalty, came to RAB from the army, navy, BGB, police and Ansar forces. All of them were working in RAB-11 during the crime. After the seven murders, they were exempted from their respective forces.
Judge’s verdict and documents reached the High Court on January 22, and are recorded as Death Reference. Later, on the directive of the Chief Justice, the High Court’s relevant branch prepared a paper-book of two cases on priority basis. The bench fixed the bench for the hearing.
28 appealed of 35 accused against the lower court verdict among them seven are fugitives. Later, the hearing began on May 22 in a High Court bench comprising Justice Bhabani Prasad Singh and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam. The hearing ended 33rd day on 6 July.
Narayanganj City Corporation Councilor Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan Sarkar and seven others were abducted from Dhaka-Narayanganj link road on April 27, 2014. Three days later on April 30, six bodies were found floating in the river Shitalakshya and another one was found in the next day.
