Published : 11 Nov 2026, 02:02 PM
Updated : 11 Nov 2026, 02:03 PM
A Dhaka court has ordered the trial of five people, including the husband of a Canada-based woman, over her murder and burial in Uttarkhan around three years ago.
Judge Mohammad Sarwar Alam of the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal for Public Security Disruptive Crimes passed the order on Wednesday, framing charges against the five accused.
Court bench assistant Md Hasan Ali said the judge set Dec 14 for the recording of witness testimony.
The accused are the victim Afroza’s husband, Ashraful; her father-in-law, Shamsuddin Ahmed; brother-in-law Sajib Alam; Sajib’s wife, Tahmina Bashar; and her aunt-in-law, lawyer Panna Chowdhury.
Ashraful, who is in jail, was produced before the court ahead of the hearing. The other four accused appeared in court on bail.
The hearing on charge framing concluded on Sept 14. The date for the order was postponed twice before being set for Nov 11.
On Wednesday, the charges against the accused were read out in court. They pleaded not guilty and sought justice.
Several lawyers, including former Dhaka Bar Association president Khorshed Alam, argued on behalf of the accused, seeking their discharge from the case. Mahmud Al Mamun Himu is representing the plaintff.
On May 26, 2023, Afroza was hacked to death with a machete at Nadda in Dhaka’s Uttarkhan, allegedly by Ashraful and the other accused.
Following the incident, Afroza’s brother Ariful filed a murder case with Uttarkhan Police Station.
After completing the investigation, the investigating officer, Uttarkhan Police Sub-Inspector Rezia Khatun, submitted a chargesheet against the five accused, including Ashraful, on Dec 24, 2024.
Ashraful allegedly fled to Canada after killing Afroza. He returned to Bangladesh on Feb 12 this year and was arrested by police at Shahjalal International Airport. He has remained in jail since then.
