A Bangladesh court has sentenced 16 people to death for the murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 19, who was set on fire in Feni after she accused her teacher of sexual harassment.
“We are happy with the judgment,” public prosecutor Hafez Ahmed told after the court verdict on Thursday. “The judgment proves that no one is above the law. We have the rule of law,” he added.
Ahmed said they were successfully able to prove that the accused are involved in the killing by providing many documents, including Rafi’s dying statement, different audiovisual records, and telephonic conversations among the accused.
According to the evidence, after Rafi arrived at the school to take an exam, a classmate named Poppy lured her to a rooftop, where five others including three of her classmates, tied her hands and feet with a scarf before setting her on fire.
After battling death with 80% burns on her body, Nusrat died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) four days later.
Ms. Jahan’s brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman, demanded that the death sentences be carried out swiftly and sought protection for his family against reprisals. He said, “we live in fear. We were threatened even today in the courtroom.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had met her family and vowed to bring the killers to justice.
“I can’t forget her for a moment. I still feel the pain that she went through,” her mother Shirin Akhtar said as she burst into tears at her home following the verdict.
Plaintiff’s Counsel Advocate Akramuzzaman told, “Nusrat’s brutal murder evoked a nationwide riot, which is why the verdict made everyone happy.”
He father said there was a slight uncertainty about the quick trial of this case due to the lengthy process of the country’s court procedures.
A human rights activist advocate Jahangir Alam said: “The remarkable aspect of this verdict is that all the proceedings have been completed within 61 working days.
“The killers tried to save themselves by framing the killing as suicide but failed. Both the media and mass people’s role to bring justice to Nusrat was praiseworthy,” Jahangir said.
>Juthy Saha
16 Sentenced to Death over Nusrat Murder
Will You Support Our Work?
People turns to WhatsOn to understand what's goingOn? We have been empowering through hope & understanding for the last forty years. We’re an independent social enterprise & our journalism is powered by our supporters. Financial contributions from our readers allows us to keep our journalism free for all & to change the world for better. Please support us, with your donation - no matter how small. Your donation makes a real difference, it empowers our activist & academy, and engages wider community groups, & universities - connecting more people. WhatsOn is a change maker, let’s get our future back together!
