7 murder: Death sentence pending in Appellate Division for nearly 5 years

Although 9 years have passed since the much-discussed incident of seven murders in Narayanganj, the death sentence against the convicts has not yet been executed.

Three years after filing of the case, the court gave the verdict, but the case has been stuck in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for four and a half years. The relatives of the victims demanded that the case be resolved quickly.

On January 16, 2017, Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge announced the verdict of the terrible murder case.

In this, 26 people, including Nur Hossain, former councilor of Ward No. 4 of Narayanganj City Corporation, expelled Army oficials including captain of RAB-11, Lt. Col. Tarek Saeed Mohammad, Major Arif Hossain and Lt. Commander M Masud Rana, were sentenced to death and 9 others were sentenced to various terms.

Later, when an appeal was made to the High Court, the court on August 22, 2018 upheld the death sentence of 15 accused and sentenced the other accused to different terms.

However, former councilor Nur Hossain, who received the death sentence, challenged the verdict and appealed to the Supreme Court‍‍`s Appellate Division which is currently pending.

Selina Islam Beauty, the wife of deceased councilor Nazrul Islam and the plaintiff in the case, sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in this regard. 

She said, “The defendants are very influential. Even though they are in jail, their influence still remains in the area.‍‍`‍‍`

Mizanur Rahman Ripon, the younger brother of the deceased Moniruzzaman Swapon, told the media, "Today, nine years have passed since the murder, but the verdict has not been implemented. Our fear is still present. Are defendants getting privilege? I demand that the judgment of this most heinous murder be implemented soon."

Defense lawyer Sakhawat Hossain Khan said that the case was not presented at the Appellate Division.

"We want the case to be finished quickly by upholding the previous verdict and to implementation of it.,” he said.

On this day, April 27, 2014, Narayanganj City Corporation Ward No. 2 Councilor and Panel Mayor-2 Nazrul Islam, his associates Tajul Islam, Moniruzzaman Swapan and his driver Zahangir Alam, Nazrul‍‍`s friends Sirajul Islam Liton, lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his personal driver Ibrahim were kidnapped from Lamapara area of Fatulla on their way back from attending a case in Narayanganj Court.

Three days after the abduction, the police recovered the bodies of six people including Nazrul Islam on April 30 and Sirajul Islam Liton on May 1 from Shantirchar in Shitalakshya river port area.

Nazrul‍‍`s wife, Selina, filed a murder case at Fatulla police station. Vijay Kumar Pal, son-in-law of lawyer Chandan Sarkar, who was killed in the same incident filed another case in the same police station.