Narayanganj seven-murder: Convicts Nur Hossain, Tarek Sayeed to appeal against verdict

Narayanganj seven-murder death-row convicts Nur Hossain and sacked army officer Tarek Sayeed Mohammad will challenge the trial court's verdict in the High Court, their lawyers said.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 Jan 2017, 09:45 AM
Updated : 16 Jan 2017, 10:12 AM

On the afternoon of Apr 27, 2014, City Corporation Councillor Nazrul Islam and five of his associates were abducted from their car on Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road.

Around the same time and from the same location, senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his driver, who were in another car, were kidnapped.

Three days later, their bloated bodies washed up on the banks of the Shitalakkhya River.

Nur Hossain, a local Awami League leader was also a councilor when the killings took place.

Tarek Sayeed was a Bangladesh Army lieutenant colonel and the then chief of the Narayanganj-based Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). He is the son-in-law of Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.

On Monday, a Narayanganj court found 35 persons guilty of the gruesome killings, which had shocked the nation and awarded the death penalty to 26 convicts.

Nine others have been given various terms in prison.

Nur Hossain's lawyer told reporters after the verdict that his clients believe they have been denied justice.

"My client believes, it's his statement, not mine, that he was not involved. They will move the High Court," said defence counsel Mizanur Rahman Dipu.

Tarek Sayeed's father and another death row convict former RAB officer MM Rana's mother-in-law were present in the court on Monday, but declined to comment.

Their lawyers, however, said that they would appeal against the decision.

"My client's statement under Section 164 is not inculpatory rather exculpatory in nature. We do not find the verdict convicting him based on this as logical," said Tarek Sayeed's lawyer Sultanuzzaman.

Another defence counsel Shahabuddin said that the plaintiff failed to produce any evidence that proves that the abductions and killings took place at the behest of the sacked lieutenant colonel.

"It's not enough that the police report states it, but it has to be proved. The plaintiff counsels could not produce any documents that say he (Tarek Sayeed) ordered it."

Rana's counsel Rita Islam also told the media about moving the High Court.

Sacked army major Arif Hossain's lawyer, however, declined to comment on the verdict.

"I believe that the defendants will get a verdict in their favour if an appeal is filed with the High Court," counsel MA Rashid Bhuiyan told the media.

Replying to a query, he said, "I will not comment on whether I am happy or unhappy, it's the defendant's call just like to appeal against the verdict. I cannot comment on the verdict."

Out of the 35 persons convicted in the killings, 25 belonged to law-enforcing agencies.

According to the case details, Nur Hossain planned to murder rival Nazrul Islam over turf war and paid the RAB officers to carry it out.