Six years on, Savar schoolgirl Nila’s murder trial remains stuck at witness testimony stage

Six years after Savar schoolgirl Nila Roy was abducted and stabbed to death, her murder trial remains unfinished, with the case still stranded at the witness testimony stage.

The case is being heard by Dhaka’s Fifth Additional District and Sessions Judge Md Rezwanuzzaman.

Nine of the 18 witnesses have so far testified.

The latest hearing was scheduled for May 24, but no witness appeared in court that day.

The next date for recording testimony has been set for Nov 25, said court bench assistant Shawkat Hossain Sani.

Nila’s father Narayan Roy said he regularly attends the court hearings but is frustrated by the long intervals between dates.

“It has been six years. I still have not got justice. I am not well without my daughter,” he said.

Nila, a Class 10 student, was returning from a hospital with her brother Alok Roy on the night of Sept 20, 2020, when a man named Mizanur Rahman stopped them.

He allegedly took Nila to an abandoned house, where he stabbed her to death after she rejected his marriage proposal.

Police later charged Mizanur, along with his alleged associates Selim Pahlan and Sakib Hossain, in the case.

Nila was a dancer and was known to many people in the area, her father said.

He recalled having many dreams for his only daughter and said the suspects had received bail and were now moving around freely while the family was still waiting for justice.

“I want a fair trial. I am waiting for justice. I hope the trial will end quickly,” he said.

Narayan left Savar with his family after the murder and moved to Uttara.

“I left that area. It would have been better if I had left earlier. I would not have lost my daughter,” he said.

Narayan filed the murder case with the Savar Model Police the day after Nila’s death.

Inspector Nirmal Kumar Das investigated the case and submitted a chargesheet against Mizanur, Sakib and Selim on Apr 28, 2021.

The court framed charges on Aug 3, 2022.

Public Prosecutor Zahirul Islam, appearing for the state before the court, said the trial process had faced difficulties after Aug 5, 2024, as many police officers were transferred and some went into hiding.

“We are trying to ensure the witnesses appear in court. The state is making every effort to conclude the trial quickly and ensure justice for the victim’s family,” he said.

All three suspects had been on bail. However, Sakib failed to appear in court, prompting the court to cancel his bail and issue an arrest warrant on May 24.

Selim’s lawyer Farida Yasmin Lata said nine witnesses had testified but none had implicated her client.

“He was brought into the case mainly because his name came up in Mizanur’s confessional statement. We will make every effort to ensure the defendant receives justice,” she said.