Narayanganj seven-murder: Nur Hossain, former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed, 24 others get death sentences

Former Narayanganj City Corporation councillor Nur Hossain and three former senior officers of the local RAB unit, including its then chief are among the 26 people awarded the death penalty for the 2014 sensational seven-murder.

On Monday, Narayanganj's District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain delivered the verdict.

Nine others have been given various terms in prison.

The abduction and gruesome killing of seven persons, including councilor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar, three years ago had shocked the whole nation.

The news hit headlines in the international media later, when it emerged members of elite police unit, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), were involved in the killings.

The court found all the 35 persons charged with the murders guilty.

On Monday, when the judge delivered the verdict in a packed courtroom when 23 of those, including prime suspect Nur Hossain were present.

The then chief of Narayanganj-based RAB 11, former army lieutenant colonel Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, former army major Arif Hossain and former navy lieutenant commander MM Rana were also on the docks.

Tarek Sayeed Mohammad was the chief of Narayanganj-based RAB 11, when the murders took place. He is the son-in-law of Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.

The RAB had suspended them after the allegations surfaced.

Later, they had all been sacked from the army and navy after prima facie evidence of involvement with the murder of seven persons was found.

The 12 other convicts, of which eight belonged to the RAB, are absconding.

As soon as the news of the verdict broke out, supporters of the murdered councilor Nazrul and slain lawyer Chandan, who had gathered outside the court premises, started cheering.

The victims' families said that they were satisfied with the verdict.

"But we want the verdict to be implemented as soon as possible and hope that the High Court will uphold it," councilor Nazrul's wife Selina Islam Beauty told reporters.

Investigators found that former army major Arif Hossain was on the spot when the killings took place late on Apr 27, 2014.

Murdered lawyer Chandan's family agreed. "We want quick execution of the verdict," daughter Sushmita Sarkar said.

Counsel Shakhawat Hossain, who represented Chandan's family, also said he was happy with the verdict, but added, "It would have been better if all of the 35 defendants had been sentenced to death."

Defence counsels, however, said they will challenge the verdict in the High Court.

"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 Sultanuzzaman, one of the counsels for Tarek Sayeed.

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."

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.

The abduction and killings

On the afternoon of Apr 27, 2014, City Councillor Nazrul 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 and his chauffer, who were in another car, were kidnapped.

RAB probe reveals how the murders were written

Three days later, their bloated bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River.

The Victims

Councillor and Panel Mayor Nazrul Islam, his associates Moniruzzaman Swapan, Tajul Islam, Sirajul Islam Liton and chauffer Jahangir Alam; Lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his chauffer 'Ibrahim'.

From the very beginning, the slain councillor’s family claimed that Nur Hossain had paid Tk 60 million to senior officers of the local RAB unit to carry out the murder of his rival.

Both Nazrul and Nur Hossain belonged to the ruling Awami League.

Families of the slain councilor and lawyer started separate police cases, which had been investigated and tried simultaneously.

After the investigation, police pressed charges against Nur Hossain, the three senior RAB officers and 31 others, which included Nur Hossain's associates and other RAB members.

According to the chargesheet filed by police, Nur Hossain planned to murder Nazrul Islam over turf control and paid the RAB officers to carry it out.

The slain lawyer's family said they came to know that he tried to stop the abduction of the councillor and his associates, which unfolded in front of him.

Bloated bodies of victims washed up on the banks of the Shitalakkhya River three days later. File photo

Police arrested 22 suspects, including the three senior RAB officers, their sub-ordinates and five associates of Nur Hossain.

Nur Hossain had fled immediately after the killings, but was detained in India’s Kolkata and brought back to Bangladesh 17 months later.

Naraynganj's Public Prosecutor Wazed Ali said that 21 of the suspects gave confessional statements under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure.

Police could not take Nur Hossain in custody for interrogation as he was absconding at that time.

In February 2016, the trial began after the court indicted 35 persons in the killings.

The court recorded testimonies of 168 witnesses produced by the prosecution, of which 60 were eye witnesses.

On Nov 30, 2017, the court concluded the trial after hearing the closing arguments and fixed Jan 16 to deliver the verdict.