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Four convicts in the murder case of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi have appealed to the Appellate Division seeking acquittal.
The appellants include Siraj-ud-Doula, the then principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa, who was sentenced to death, and three others who were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Their senior lawyer, Shishir Monir, confirmed the development on Wednesday.
The three life-term convicts are Jabed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zubayer and Umme Sultana alias Popy.
On August 24, the High Court upheld the death sentences of two of the 16 death-row convicts, commuted the sentences of four others to life imprisonment and acquitted the remaining 10.
The two whose death sentences were upheld are Siraj-ud-Doula and Shahadat Hossain Shamim.
The four whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment are Nur Uddin, Jabed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zubayer and Umme Sultana alias Popy.
The 10 acquitted convicts are Kamrun Nahar Moni, Hafiz Abdul Quader, Mahiuddin Shakil, Imran Hossain alias Mamun, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Mohammad Shamim, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Ruhul Amin, the then Sonagazi upazila Awami League president and former madrasa vice-president, Absar Uddin, and Maksud Alam alias Moksud Councillor, the then councillor and former general secretary of Sonagazi municipality Awami League. They have already been released from prison.
On March 27, 2019, Nusrat’s mother, Shirin Akhter, filed a case against Siraj-ud-Doula over allegations of sexual harassment of her daughter. Police subsequently arrested the madrasa principal.
According to the prosecution, some of his followers later planned to kill Nusrat after allegedly seeking his advice in jail. On April 6, Nusrat was taken to the roof of a cyclone shelter at the madrasa when she went there to sit for her Alim examination and was set on fire.
She was initially taken to Sonagazi Upazila Health Complex and later transferred to Feni 250-bed General Hospital. As her condition deteriorated, she was taken to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she died on April 10.
Nusrat’s brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman, filed a murder case on April 8. Police submitted the charge sheet on May 28, and the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal framed charges on June 20.
After recording testimony and hearing arguments, the tribunal delivered its verdict on October 24, 2019, sentencing all 16 accused to death. The trial was completed in 61 working days, during which the court recorded testimony from 87 witnesses and heard arguments.
The convicts subsequently appealed to the High Court.
