Court Correspondent:
The High Court (HC) yesterday upheld the death sentences of SM Siraj Uddoula and Md Shahadat Hossain Shamim in the case lodged over the sensational murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a Madrasa student from Sonagazi in Feni.
The High Court division bench of Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduz-zaman Raja pronounced the judgment after hearing the death reference and jail appeals in the case.
The court also commuted the death sentences of four other convicts to life imprisonment. They are Md Nur Uddin, Saifur Rahman Md Zubayer, Umme Sultana Popi and Jabed Hossain alias Sakha-wat Hossain Jabed.
It also acquitted 10 others, initially sentenced to death by lower court concerned. They are Ruhul Amin, Maksudul Alam, Hafej Abdul Kader, Md Afsar Uddin, Qamrunnahar Moni, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Imran Hossain Mamun, Md Shamim and Mohiuddin Shakil.
Meanwhile, the court also ordered the removal of judge who sentenced 16 to death in case from criminal trial duties.
“The High Court has directed the law ministry to immediately remove Mamunur Rashid, then judge of Feni Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal, who had sentenced 16 people to death in the Nusrat murder case, from judicial duties in criminal cases,” said Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal.
The High Court observed that the tribunal judge, Mamunur Rashid, had handed down death sen-tences to all 16 accused in the murder case in what amounted to a “mindless sentence”.
The court in its observation said the judge had failed to apply the judicial mind required in dis-charging his judicial responsibilities, the attorney general said.
The High Court on July 28, 2026, started its hearing on the matters. Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Deputy Attorney General Barrister Syed Ejaj Kabir and Assistant Attorney General Rohani Siddiqua took part in the hearing for the state. The court on August 20 set yesterday for pronouncing the judgment.
Feni Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal on October 24, 2019, sentenced all 16 ac-cused in the case to death and fined them Taka one lakh each.
The case documents were sent to the High Court on October 29, 2019, for it approval.
Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury on June 10, 2026, constituted a dedicated High Court bench for hearing, on a priority basis, death references for confirmation of death sentences awarded under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, as well as appeals arising from the same judgments. Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazol too formed a special prosecutors’ team to take part in the hearing of such cases.
