Eden College student Sadia murder: All 8 accused acquitted

The High Court today acquitted all the eight accused who were convicted by the trial court in Eden University College student Sadia NurMita murder case.

Sadia went to her village home at Miapara under Gopalganjsadarupazila on August 24, 2010. She disappeared on August 30, 2010, after she had gone to sleep with her cousin Shraboni. Her body was found in a local pond the next day, according to the case statement.

The trial court had sentenced three accused to death, four accused to life imprisonment and one to five years’ imprisonment in the case.   

Today, the bench of Justice MdRuhulQuddusandJustice ASM Abdul Mobin delivered the verdict after rejecting the death reference of the case and allowing the appeals filed by the accused challenging the lower court judgement on them.

Deputy Attorney General MoniruzzamanRubel told The Daily Star that the HC acquitted all the eight accused of the case as there was noteye witness against them.

Besides, only one of the accused of the case, Israt Jahan Shraboni, had made a confessional statement which the HC did not believe, he said.

DAG Moniruzzaman said the government will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict. 

The Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 of Dhaka on March 13, 2013 sentencedMita's cousins KhondakerHabibur Rahman alias Nipun, and KhondakerMamun Hassan alias Mamun, and Nipun's brother-in-law MafizKhandaker alias Dogu to death in the case.

Nipun, Mamun and Dogu, who are now behind the condemn cell, will get released from the jail following the HC verdict, DAG Moniruzzaman added. 

The four accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment are the victim's cousins Shamsur Rahman alias Jony, Israt Jahan Shraboni, Kazi Shah AlamTushar and Jony's friend and a neighbour Sheikh Nazmul.

Another convict Anwar Hossain alias Moni, another cousin and brother of the convict Shraboni, was sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment. The five accused have already secured bail in the case, DAG Moniruzzaman added.

Mita’s father Liakat Hossain Mollah filed the murder case with Gopalganj Police Station saying that Mita, a third year chemistry student, had no brother, and four of her cousins attempted to marry her and her sister Antora to acquire their father's property, but they failed.

Advocate FazlulHaque Khan Farid and Advocate SM Shahjahan appeared for the accused.