HC receives death references of Nusrat murder case

Published at 03:17 pm October 29th, 2019

File photo of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, an Alim examinee and student of Sonagazi Madrasa in Feni, who died on April 10, after being set on fire on April 6 Dhaka Tribune

Nusrat was set on fire in broad daylight on April 6

The High Court received the death references of all the 16 convicts involved in Nusrat Jahan Rafi’s murder case yesterday.

Special officer of the Supreme Court Mohammad Saifur Rahman confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that the 2327-page death reference documents have reached the High Court around 5pm.

Wrapped in red cloth, the 2327-page case documents were brought to the High Court by Shamsuddin, stenographer of Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. On October 24, Judge Mamunur Rashid of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced 16 people to death, in the case filed over the murder of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who refused to withdraw a sexual harassment case against her institution’s principal.

On April 6, the 18-year-old Alim examinee was set on fire — 10 days after her family filed the case at Sonagazi police station against SM Sirajuddaula, the then principal of Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa, for sexually harassing her.

After battling death with 80% burns on her body, Nusrat succumbed to her injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The brutality inflicted on her triggered nationwide protests. Tens of thousands of people attended Nusrat Jahan Rafi’s funeral prayers in her hometown, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged that her family would get swift justice.