Nusrat Murder: Principal ‘ordered her killing’

Feni madrasa Principal SM Siraj Ud Doula confessed to ordering the fatal arson attack on Nus-rat Jahan Rafi as she refused to withdraw the sexual harassment charges brought against him, police said.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) produced him before a Feni court where Senior Judicial Magistrate Zakir Hossain recorded his confessional statement under Section 164.

Citing the statement, PBI Special Superintendent Md Iqbal told reporters that Siraj, the principal of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa, gave the order to his associates Nur Uddin and Shahadat Hossain Shamim from jail.

“Siraj ordered them to burn her to death if she did not agree to withdraw the case against him,” the police official said, adding that he asked them to stage the murder as a case of suicide.

The PBI officer spoke to the media after the court finished recording of Siraj’s statement for five hours.

He, however, refused to provide details for the sake of investigation.

Earlier on April 10, a Feni court granted a seven-day remand of Siraj over the murder.

Till date, 21 people were arrested in this case. Of them, nine gave confessional statements.

MPO SCRAPPED

Siraj and Afsar Uddin, a lecturer of English department at the madrasa, were dropped off the monthly pay order yesterday over their involvement in the killing of Nusrat.

Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury approved a note scrapping the fa-cility for the two.

Earlier, Siraj was arrested on March 27 in a case filed over sexually harassing Nusrat. Later on April 9, he was shown arrested in the case filed by the victim’s brother for ordering the arson attack on Nusrat.

On April 6, a group of people set Nusrat on fire pouring kerosene on her as she refused to withdraw the sexual harassment case despite repeated pressure from the accused.

Alim examinee Nusrat lost her battle for life on April 10, five days after she was set afire.