The High Court on Tuesday acquitted all eight accused of killing Eden Mohila College student Sadia Nur Mita. The eight had previously been convicted by a trial court.
A High Court bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice ASM Abdul Mobin passed the order after rejecting the death reference and allowing the appeal petitions filed by the convicts.
Advocates Fazlul Haque Khan Farid and SM Shahzahan represented the convicts, while Deputy Attorney General Moniruzzaman Rubel represented the state.
The attorney general said the High Court had acquitted all eight convicts as there was a lack of eyewitnesses. "We will file an appeal petition challenging the HC order," he added.
On March 13, 2013, the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 sentenced three people to death, four people to life imprisonment, and one person to five years' imprisonment over the killing of the college student.
The three condemned convicts were Khondaker Habibur Rahman alias Nipun, Khondaker Mamun Hassan alias Mamun, and Mafiz Khandaker alias Dogu.
The four accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment are Shamsur Rahman alias Jony, Israt Jahan Shraboni, Kazi Shah Alam Tushar, and Sheikh Nazmul.
Anwar Hossain alias Moni was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Later, the death reference of the condemned convicts was sent to the High Court. All the convicts filed appeal petitions challenging the lower court verdict.
On August 30, 2010, Eden Mohila College student Sadia Nur Mia went missing from her residence in Gopalganj and later was found dead at a pond adjacent to her house.
The victim's father filed a case with Gopalganj police station.
According to the first information report of the case, Mitu had gone missing while sleeping with her sibling Antara and cousin Sraboni.
Later, police submitted a charge-sheet against eight people, including Sraboni.