Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

Relatives of the victims and local residents have formed a human chain demanding the implementation of the High Court’s verdict in the much-discussed Narayanganj 7-murder case. The program was held on Friday  at 10 AM on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the Mouchak area of Siddhirganj. Speakers at the human chain included Selina Islam Beauty, wife of former Panel Mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) Nazrul Islam and former councilor of Ward No. 2 of NCC, as well as Nur Mohammad, Abul Khayer, and others. They demanded the immediate execution of the High Court's verdict.Selina Islam Beauty, wife of slain Nazrul Islam and plaintiff in the case, said, "We lost our loved ones 11 years ago. Yet, the Supreme Court has not executed the killers. Our only demand to the judiciary and the interim head of the government is to conclude the judicial process considering the suffering of these seven families. I appeal to the legal adviser to conclude the judicial proceedings of the Supreme Court and settle the case quickly considering our plight. We just want to witness justice in our lifetime." Shamsun Nahar Nupur, wife of the deceased Jahangir, said, “When my husband was killed, I was pregnant. Now my daughter is 11 years old. Yet, she has not seen justice for her father’s murder. The case is still pending in the High Court. We appeal to the chief legal adviser to at least bring closure to our suffering by ensuring justice. We are helpless.” Abul Khayer, father of deceased Tajul, said, “We are exhausted after waiting for 11 years. We earnestly request the honorable interim head of government, legal adviser, Attorney General, and all concerned to free us from this endless wait. Let the verdict of the High Court be implemented without further delay.”

 On April 27, 2014, Narayanganj City Corporation’s Panel Mayor-2 Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan Sarkar, and five others were abducted. Three days later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River. Following the abduction and murder, Nazrul Islam’s wife Selina Islam Beauty and Chandan Sarkar’s son-in-law Bijoy Kumar Pal filed two separate cases.

 Eleven months after the incident, on April 8, 2015, the investigating agency, Narayanganj District Detective Branch (DB) Police, submitted a consolidated charge sheet for both cases. On January 16, 2017, a Narayanganj court sentenced 35 accused individuals including former councilor of NCC Ward No. 4 and former vice-president of Siddhirganj Thana Awami League, Nur Hossain; RAB-11 commander Lt. Col. Tarek Sayeed Mohammad; former company commander Major Arif Hossain; and Lt. Commander Masud Rana. Among them, 26 received the death penalty and 9 were given various prison terms.

 The High Court upheld the death penalty for 15 of the 26 convicts and commuted the sentences of the remaining 11 to life imprisonment. The sentences of the other 9 accused were upheld by the High Court. The case is currently under review in the Supreme Court.