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● Khalilur Rahman assumes office as 81st UNGA President ● Bangladesh condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia ● Bangladesh to build 460 MW solar plant at Rampal site ● Sammilito Islami Bank depositors withdraw Tk581cr in two days ● 'Killer Benazir' will be brought back for trial: State Minister ● Full HC verdict in Nusrat murder case published ● Government cuts Hajj package costs

Full HC verdict in Nusrat murder case published

Published : Tuesday, 8 September, 2026 at 8:56 PM

Observer Online Report

The High Court has published the full 112-page verdict in the Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case, upholding the death sentences of two convicts while commuting four to life imprisonment and acquitting 10 others.

The judgment, delivered earlier on 24 August by the bench of Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice K M Rasheduzzaman Raja, was uploaded to the Supreme Court website on Tuesday (September 8).

The court upheld the death penalties for former principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Madrasa, SM Siraj-ud-Doula (57), and Shahadat Hossain Shamim (20). The death sentences of Nur Uddin, Javed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobair, and Umme Sultana alias Popi were commuted to life imprisonment.

The 10 acquitted individuals are Kamrun Nahar Moni, Hafez Abdul Kader, Mohiuddin Shakil, Imran Hossain alias Mamun, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Mohammad Shamim, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, former Sonagazi Upazila Awami League president Ruhul Amin, Absar Uddin, and former local councillor Maksud Alam.

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kaajol stated that the High Court acquitted the ten individuals due to a lack of evidence linking them to the crime. He added that the High Court made critical observations regarding trial judge Mamunur Rashid, describing his original decision to sentence all 16 defendants to death as a "mindless sentence" that failed to assess individual involvement.

The court directed the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs to immediately withdraw Judge Rashid from handling criminal trials and sentencing.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi was set on fire on the roof of a cyclone shelter at her examination centre on 6 April 2019, after refusing to withdraw a sexual harassment case against principal Siraj-ud-Doula. She succumbed to her injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit on 10 April 2019.

The trial court originally sentenced all 16 accused to death on 24 October 2019 following a 61-day trial.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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