Seven-murder case plaintiff Beauty worried for witnesses

The plaintiff of the case on the seven murders in Narayanganj has expressed concerns over the safety of the witnesses and urged the authorities to protect them.

Selina Islam Beauty, wife of slain city councillor Nazrul Islam, said ‘cadres’ of prime suspect Nur Hossain created a ‘environment of fear for the witnesses’ by their presence on the court premises during the last hearing.
 
She raised the allegations on Tuesday, a day after a Narayanganj court indicted 35 persons, including former city councillor Nur Hossain and three former RAB officials, for the 2014 murders in the town.
 
Beauty claimed that cadres of Hossain are threatening her and her family with harms and ‘false cases’. 

She told bdnews24.com, “When we are being threatened, how will the witnesses appear before the court to testify?”

Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Khandker Mohid Uddin, however, tried to dispel the fear of the plaintiff.

“There is nothing to worry about. Security will be provided to all, including the plaintiffs and witnesses,” he told bdnews24.com. 

Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and five others were whisked away from Dhaka-Narayanganj link road on Apr 27, 2014. Their bodies were found floating on the Shitalakkhyya River several days later.

Islam’s wife Beauty and Sarkar’s son-in-law Bijoy Kumar Paul filed two separate cases over the murders with police.

The court of Narayanganj’s District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain indicted the 35 persons on Monday and fixed Feb 25 for witness depositions. 

Those charged include Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, a former RAB official and son-in-law of Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.

  [2/10/16, 12:44 AM] Shihabur Rahman:Beauty said several thousand people took out processions from the court premises and formed human chains there demanding that Nur Hossain be freed.

She questioned whether the witnesses would turn up in court to testify in such a situation. “And even if they appear, how will their security be ensured?”

The widow said she is sceptical about a fair trial. 

“They (Hossain and his men) want to give us the message that everything is under their control and that is actually what is happening,” she said.