Court Correspondent :
Four persons including elder brother of Sagira Morshed’s husband were indicted yesterday in the case filed over the murder of the housewife Sagira Morshed in the capital’s Bailey Road area in 1989.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge KM Imrul Qayesh framed charges against Sagira’s brother-in-law Dr Hasan Ali Chowdhury, his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda, Mahmuda’s brother Anas Mahmud alias Rezwan and hired killer Maruf Reza.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty after the court read out the charges to them, and demanded justice.
Earlier on March 9, the court accepted charge sheet against the four accused, filed by Investigation Officer and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Rafikul Islam on January 16. The IO filed a 1,309 page charge-sheet, accusing the four for the murder.
Sagira Morshed, 34, was gunned down by unidentified muggers in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in the capital’s Bailey Road on July 25, 1989.
Sagira’s husband Salam Chowdhury filed the case on that day with Ramna Police Station against unidentified miscreants. A rickshaw puller present at the crime scene identified two of the killers, but police had filed the initial charge sheet against one Montu.
Dhaka First Additional Sessions Judge Abu Bakar Siddique on January 17, 1991, framed charges against Montu and testimonies of seven witnesses were also recorded.
But during the hearing, the prosecution alleged the name of Maruf Reza, close relative of the then Home Minister Mahmudul Hasan, came up during the investigation and was also arrested. But his name was later, dropped from the charge sheet.
Following a plea of the prosecution, the court on May 23, 1991, ordered for further investigation. But the proceedings of the case were stayed by the High Court Division as Maruf Reza filed a petition, challenging the further investigation order.
But the High Court on June 26, last year, cleared way for continuing the trial of the murder case as it dismissed the rule that had stayed the trial proceedings.
A High Court Division Bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order, asking PBI to conduct further investigation in the case and complete it within 60-working days.
PBI after that arrested the four and they have already confessed their involvement to the killing of Sagira Morshed.
Four persons including elder brother of Sagira Morshed’s husband were indicted yesterday in the case filed over the murder of the housewife Sagira Morshed in the capital’s Bailey Road area in 1989.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge KM Imrul Qayesh framed charges against Sagira’s brother-in-law Dr Hasan Ali Chowdhury, his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda, Mahmuda’s brother Anas Mahmud alias Rezwan and hired killer Maruf Reza.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty after the court read out the charges to them, and demanded justice.
Earlier on March 9, the court accepted charge sheet against the four accused, filed by Investigation Officer and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Rafikul Islam on January 16. The IO filed a 1,309 page charge-sheet, accusing the four for the murder.
Sagira Morshed, 34, was gunned down by unidentified muggers in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in the capital’s Bailey Road on July 25, 1989.
Sagira’s husband Salam Chowdhury filed the case on that day with Ramna Police Station against unidentified miscreants. A rickshaw puller present at the crime scene identified two of the killers, but police had filed the initial charge sheet against one Montu.
Dhaka First Additional Sessions Judge Abu Bakar Siddique on January 17, 1991, framed charges against Montu and testimonies of seven witnesses were also recorded.
But during the hearing, the prosecution alleged the name of Maruf Reza, close relative of the then Home Minister Mahmudul Hasan, came up during the investigation and was also arrested. But his name was later, dropped from the charge sheet.
Following a plea of the prosecution, the court on May 23, 1991, ordered for further investigation. But the proceedings of the case were stayed by the High Court Division as Maruf Reza filed a petition, challenging the further investigation order.
But the High Court on June 26, last year, cleared way for continuing the trial of the murder case as it dismissed the rule that had stayed the trial proceedings.
A High Court Division Bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order, asking PBI to conduct further investigation in the case and complete it within 60-working days.
PBI after that arrested the four and they have already confessed their involvement to the killing of Sagira Morshed.
