As many of four convicts of the murder of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi have appealed to the High Court challenging the death sentence against them.
The death row convicts who filed the petition are Sonagaji madrasa principal Siraj-ud-Daula, Nur Uddin, Jabed Hossain, and Umme Sultana Poppy.
A lawyer Jamiul Haque Faysal filed the appeal on behalf of them with the concerned HC bench on Monday (Dec 2).
On Oct 24, the Feni Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced 16 people to death over the murder of Nusrat who was set on fire after refusing to withdraw sexual harassment charges against the madrasa principal.
Along with the four who moved the HC, the other convicts are Shahadat Hossain Shamim, councilor Maksud Alam, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobair, Hafez Abdul Kader, Absar Uddin, Kamrun Nahar Moni, Abdur Rahim Sharif, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Imran Hossain Mamun, Mohammad Shamim, Ruhul Amin, and Mohiuddin Shakil.
Each of the convicts was slapped with a fine of Tk 100,000 each.
Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil Madrasa was torched on the roof of the madrasa after being tricked there by the followers of madrasa principal Siraj-ud-Daula on Apr 6.
The Alim examinee was set on fire for refusing to withdraw a sexual harassment case she had filed against Siraj who was arrested on Mar 27.
According to the case documents, after being taken to the hospital, Nusrat said that the day of the incident, she rushed to the roof on hearing that one of her friends who is a witness to the sexual harassment case was being beaten up.
Four burqa-clad people, who were later identified to be Siraj’s cronies, had their faces covered and poured kerosene on her and set her on fire when she refused to withdraw the charges, she had said.
On Apr 8, her brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman filed a case over the incident accusing eight people, including the principal.
The 18-year-old died five days after the attack on Apr 10 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Her killing sparked outrage and protests against oppression of women and girls, drawing the attention of the international media and prompting government high-ups, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to pledge justice for her.