The High Court yesterday deferred until August 22 the delivery of its verdict on the death references and appeals in the sensational Narayanganj seven-murder cases.

The bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam, who were supposed to announce the judgment yesterday, rescheduled the date as they could not prepare the verdict, Deputy Attorney General KM Zahid Sarwar Kazal told The Daily Star.

After hearing arguments from the state and the defence counsel on 33 dates, the judges on July 26 fixed yesterday for announcing the judgment.

If a lower court sentences a person to death, the judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirming the sentence.

During the hearing on the death references and appeals in the cases, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam prayed to the HC to uphold the trial court verdict, in which 26 people, including 16 former Rapid Action Battalion members, were sentenced to death and nine others jailed.

Defence counsel -- Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury, SM Shahjahan, SM Abdul Mobin and Ahsan Ullah – defended the accused.

Citing different grounds, they prayed for their clients' acquittal.

On January 16, a Narayanganj court found 35 people, including 25 former Rab officials and expelled ruling Awami League man Nur Hossain, guilty of abducting and murdering seven people and destroying evidence in April 2014.

Bodies of the seven victims, including Narayanganj City Corporation councillor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker, were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river after they were abducted on April 27, 2014.