The High Court has completed hearings on the death reference, appeals and jail appeals in the murder case of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, with the verdict scheduled to be delivered on 24 August.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja fixed the date after concluding the hearing on Thursday. The first day of hearing in the case was held on 28 July.
Deputy Attorney General Syed Ejaz Kabir and Assistant Attorney General Rohani Siddiqua represented the state during the hearing.
The case relates to the murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Feni, who was set on fire on 6 April 2019 after she refused to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint against the madrasa principal. She died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on 10 April.
On 24 October 2019, the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced 16 accused to death in the case. The case records were sent to the High Court on 29 October for approval of the death sentences, a process known as a death reference.
The convicts later filed appeals and jail appeals challenging the tribunal’s verdict.
The case was later given priority, and the printing of the paper book containing necessary documents from the trial proceedings was completed. After completing the required formalities, the case was placed before the Chief Justice, who assigned it to the current High Court bench for hearing.
The High Court will examine the death reference seeking confirmation of the death sentences, along with the appeals and jail appeals filed by the convicts, before delivering its verdict.
