Home
+
Published : 30 May 2025, 03:29 AM
The High Court is set to deliver its verdict on Jun 2 in the sensational murder case of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan, who was shot dead at a police checkpoint in Cox’s Bazar in 2020.
The bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md Sagir Hossain fixed the date on Thursday after concluding hearings on both the death reference and appeals by the defence.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Jashim Uddin Sarker represented the state while lawyers SM Shahjahan and Sarwar Ahmed argued for the convicts.
The attorney general called on the court to uphold the trial court’s verdict, which sentenced key accused to death.
The defence, however, sought to overturn the ruling and have the convicts acquitted.
The High Court began hearings on the death reference and appeals on Apr 23 this year, after Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed directed the matter to be disposed of on “a priority basis”.
On Jul 31, 2020, Sinha was shot dead at a checkpoint on the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive in Shamlapur.
After taking early retirement from the Army, Sinha travelled to Cox’s Bazar with a team to film a travel documentary.
His killing sparked a national outcry and the case soon exposed deep issues of abuse of power within the police.
In 2022, a court in Cox’s Bazar sentenced former Teknaf Police Station chief Pradip Kumar Das and Baharchhara Outpost chief Liaqat Ali to death for the murder.
Six others, including three police officers and three police informants, were handed life imprisonment for assisting in the killing and attempting to cover it up.
Four other policemen and three members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
An investigation into the incident by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) also revealed how Pradip, the erstwhile chief of Teknaf Police Station, would stage gunfights and extort people for money under the pretext of a war on drugs.
Sinha and his team had come to learn about the torture and abuse inflicted on locals in Teknaf, which ultimately led to his targeted killing.
Feeling threatened that Sinha might expose his misdeeds, Pradip allegedly planned the murder. He ordered Liakat to open fire, while others on the scene helped stage the incident as a shootout.
Following the incident, Sinha’s sister filed a case and a total of 15 people, including 12 police personnel, were eventually charged.
The trial formally began on Jun 27, 2021, under Judge Mohammad Ismail of the Cox’s Bazar District and Sessions Court. The verdict was delivered on Jan 31, 2022.
The death reference then moved to the High Court for mandatory confirmation, while the convicts, currently in jail, filed appeals.
