Nuruddin, Shamim confess to their roles in Nusrat’s death

Nuruddin and Shahadat Hossain Shamim have confessed to their roles in the death of madrasa student  Nusrat Jahan Rafi after arson attacks on her in Feni.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 April 2019, 07:44 AM
Updated : 15 April 2019, 07:44 AM

The suspects’ statements were recorded in the chamber of Senior Judicial Magistrate Zakir Hossain, said Taherul Haque Chauhan, additional superintendent of police in the Police Bureau of Investigation or PBI.

Nur and Shamim were brought to the court at 3pm on Sunday and the judge recorded their statements until 1am on Monday.

"The court cross-examined their statements  and interrogated them as they gave their statements," said Taherul.

"They committed the murder following the  directive from madrasa principal Siraj-Ud-Daula. They divulged the names of their accomplices,” said the police official without sharing further details as the investigation into the case is ongoing.

Nusrat had been tricked onto the roof of the madrasa where the perpetrators set her on fire on Apr 6 for not withdrawing the sexual assault case against Siraj. She lost her battle for life on Apr 10 after fighting for five days in a Dhaka hospital.

Nur Uddin spearheaded the campaign at Sonagazi Upazila demanding the release of the principal after he was arrested in the sexual assault case filed by Nusrat’s family.

Nuruddin was one of the four burqa-clad persons with ties to the arson attack.

“The suspects mentioned two reasons for the murder. One of them was that the ‘Alem’ or religious preacher community was demeaned through her case and the other was Nusrat’s refusal to the romantic relationship proposed by Shahadat Hossain Shamim,” DIG Banaj Kumar Majumder told the press on Saturday.

Shamim, who was also a close aide to Siraj, was arrested in Mymensingh on Friday.

At least 13 persons were involved in the arson attack on Nusrat including two female students, said DIG Banaj Kumar . One of them was Umme Sultana Poppy, the niece of the principal.