A court in Feni has concluded the trial in the murder of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi and kept its verdict pending for Oct 24.
On Monday (Sept 30), Feni’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mamunur Rashid set the date after hearing concluding arguments by the prosecution and defence, Public Prosecutor Hafez Ahmed told Bangla Tribune.
“We expect the court to award the maximum punishment to the defendants,” he said before adding that they have been able to prove the charges beyond any doubt.
The trial began on Jun 20 with the indictment of 16 people. During the procedure, the court heard testimonies of 87 witnesses, including the family of the victim.
The 16 accused facing a possible death penalty are madrasa principal SM Siraj-ud-Daula, Nur Uddin, Zobair Hossain, Shakhawat Hossain Jabed, Absar Uddin, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Ruhul Amin, Umme Sultana Poppy, KamrunNahar Moni, MaksudAlam, Hafez Abdul Kader, Imran Hossain, MohiuddinShakil, Mohammad Shamim, and Shahadat Hossain Shamim.
Siraj is the prime accused and charged with ordering the fatal arson attack on Nusrat at the SonagaziIslamiaFazil (Degree) Madrasah.
The principal was in jail at the time of the attack in a case for alleged sexual abuse of Nusrat.
Siraj’s followers Shamim, Zobair, Moni, Poppy and Jabed set Nusrat on fire on the rooftop of the madrasa when she refused to drop the sexual abuse charges against Siraj on Apr 6, police had said earlier citing their confessional statements given to the court. She lost the battle for her life five days after the attack.
Nur Uddin met Siraj in jail on Apr 4 and plotted the arson attack with the others the following day, according to police.
Shamim, a senior student of the madrasa, got involved in the attack because Nusrat had earlier refused his proposal for a relationship, police said.
Local Awami League leaders Ruhul Amin and MaksudAlam funded the attack, police said citing the charges.
The charges under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act include burning Nusrat to death, taking part in the murder plan, and abetting in the killing.
