Nusrat murder case: application to Appellate Division seeking acquittal of 4 accused

Former principal Siraj Uddoula, sentenced to death in the murder case of Sonagazi madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi of Feni, and three other accused sentenced to life imprisonment have filed applications in the Appellate Division seeking acquittal.

Senior lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir informed journalists about the matter of their appeal on Wednesday (September 30). According to the latest information, after the High Court verdict the case has now entered a new stage in the higher court.

The three accused sentenced to life imprisonment who have appealed are Javed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zubayer and Umme Sultana alias Poppy. Earlier, after completing the hearing of their appeals against the death sentences given by the trial court, the High Court on August 24 reduced the sentences of four accused to life imprisonment and acquitted 10 accused.

However, the High Court upheld the death sentences of the main accused of the case Siraj Uddoula and his associate Shahadat Hossain Shamim. In the same verdict, the death sentence of Nur Uddin was also reduced to life imprisonment. And 10 people who had been given death sentences by the lower court were acquitted of the charges.

On March 27, 2019, an allegation of sexual harassment against the then principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Madrasa Siraj Uddoula was raised regarding Nusrat. After a case was filed in this incident, Siraj was arrested. As she did not agree to withdraw the case, an allegation was raised of calling Nusrat to the roof of the madrasa and setting fire to her body on April 6. She died on April 10 after remaining under treatment in Dhaka in a critically burnt condition.

Nusrat’s brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman filed a case at Sonagazi Police Station on April 8, 2019 over the incident of Nusrat’s death. After completing the investigation, a charge sheet was submitted making 16 people accused on May 28 of that year. After completing the trial, the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced all the accused of the case to death on October 24. Later the case documents were sent to the High Court for approval of that death sentence and the accused also filed appeals and jail appeals.

After a long hearing, the High Court pronounced the verdict of the case on August 24 of the current year. The court considered Nusrat’s dying declaration as important and reliable evidence. Alongside, the issue of the trial court’s lack of judicial consideration in giving death sentences to all the accused together was also highlighted in the verdict.

Now the applications filed seeking acquittal of Siraj Uddoula and the three accused sentenced to life imprisonment are awaiting disposal in the Appellate Division. As a result, the next important stage in determining the final legal outcome of the Nusrat murder case will be the proceedings of the Appellate Division.