Biswajit murder: HC verdict Sunday

On Sunday, the High Court will deliver its verdict on the death reference and appeals in the sensational murder of Biswajit Das, who was hacked in broad daylight by ruling party men.

The HC bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty is expected to deliver judgement as the item have been included as second in the cause list.

Earlier on July 17, the judges fixed August 6 for announcing the verdict after concluding hearing arguments on the matter for 15 days.

Tailor-shop proprietor in Shakharibazar, Bishwajit Das, 24, was hacked to death in public on his way to the shop during a countrywide road-blockade programme on December 9, 2012.

On December 18, 2013, a Dhaka court sentenced eight activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League’s student front, to death and 13 others to life imprisonment in this case.

The court observed that footage of the murder broadcast on national and international media shocked all. The brutality of the offence had tarnished the country’s image before the entire world.

The condemned BCL men are Rafiqul Islam Shakil, Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul Haque Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon, Md Saiful Islam, Qayum Mia Tipu, Rajon Talukdar and Noor-e-Alam Limon. Of them, Rajon and Limon are on the run.

The convicts given life imprisonment are AHM Kibria, Saiful Islam Saiful, Golam Mustafa, Alauddin, Obaidul Quader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Khandaker Md Yunus Ali, Tarique Bin Zohur, Azizur Rahman, Al Amin Sheikh, Monirul Haque Pavel, Mosharraf Hossain and Kamrul Hasan.

Of them, only Kibria and Mustafa are behind bars while the rest are absconding.

Fourteen appeals were filed with the HC by the convicts challenging the lower court verdict.