Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday prayed to the High Court to uphold the trial court verdict in the sensational Narayanganj seven-murder case in which 26 people, including 16 former Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members, were sentenced to death and nine others jailed.

While placing his concluding arguments before the HC on the death references and appeals in the case, he said the offence was committed by the accused Rab personnel in exchange for money paid by former ward councillor Nur Hossain Nur.

He said call detail record has clearly proved that Nur Hossain and Rab official Tareque Sayeed Mohammad (now dismissed) constantly maintained communication with the killing squad led by Maj Arif Hossain (now dismissed) and Lt commander Masud Rana (now dismissed).

Therefore, the trial court verdict does not require any interference by the HC, the attorney general said.

Assistant Attorney General Bashir Ahmed argued that Nur Hossain, Tareque Sayeed, Arif Hossain and Masud Rana were in the commanding position in committing the incident of killing seven innocent people.

The brutal and gruesome murders were committed in a preplanned way, he said, adding that death is the appropriate sentence for them.

The bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singh and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam will resume hearing today on the death references and appeals.

The judges began the hearing with Deputy Attorney General Abdul Mannan Mohan reading out from the paper book of the case on May 22.

Defence counsels -- Advocate Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury, Advocate SM Shahjahan, Advocate SM Abdul Mobin and Advocate Ahsan Ullah -- earlier placed arguments defending the accused.

Earlier on January 16, a Narayanganj court found 35 people, including 25 former Rab officials and expelled ruling Awami League man Nur Hossain,

guilty of abduction and murder of seven people and destroying evidence in April 2014.

The court handed down death penalty to 26 people, including 16 former Rab members, and jailed nine others for various terms.

The bodies of seven people, 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.