The High Court has upheld death for two out of eight Bangladesh Chhatra League men initially sentenced to hang by a lower court for killing Bishwajit Das in old Dhaka.
The two convicts are former leaders of Chhatra League in Jagannath University Rafiqul Islam Shakil and Rajon Talukdar.
Delivering its verdict on death references and appeals on Sunday, the High Court bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty commuted sentences of four to life imprisonment while the remaining two – Md Saiful Islam and Qayum Mia Tipu — were acquitted.
The four who were given the benefit of doubt are Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul Haque Emdad, Rasheduzzaman Shaon and Noor-e-Alam Limon.
Among 13 accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court in December, 2013, two — AHM Kibria and Golam Mustafa — appealed against their sentences. The High Court acquitted them, but made no comment about the remaining 11, who are now on the run.
The fugitives are Saiful Islam Saiful, Tarique Bin Zohur, Azizur Rahman, Al Amin Sheikh, Alauddin, Obaidul Quader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Khandaker Md Yunus Ali, Monirul Haque Pavel, Mosharraf Hossain and Kamrul Hasan.
A total of 21 members of Chhatra League, the student front of the ruling Awami League, were convicted of murdering Bishwajit, a tailor by profession, on the way to his tailoring shop at Laxmibazar in Old Dhaka on December 9, 2012 during a strike enforced by the BNP-led opposition.
Bishwajit, then 24, was hacked and beaten to death by the Chhatra League men. The brutal killing in broad daylight was caught on cameras of four TV channels and several newspapers.
As law enforcers present in the area did not stop the attackers, a rickshaw puller rescued and took him to a hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead.
Terming the attack “a senseless act of merciless murder,” the High Court lambasted former sub-inspector of Sutrapur Police Station Jahedul Haque, saying he made an incomplete report on Bishwajit’s death.
It asked the police chief to find out if Jahedul was negligent while conducting the inquest into the incident.
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The court also criticised Dr Md Maksud, who performed Bishwajit’s autopsy at Sir Salimullah Medical College, saying he did not properly discharge his duties.
The Ministry of Heath and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services, and Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council were ordered to check if there was any negligence by Maksud.
The High Court called on Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) President Advocate Manzill Murshid to keep an eye on the inquiries and report to the court from time to time.Family’s reactionsBishwajit’s family and relatives, who were happy with the lower court’s verdict, said the High Court verdict acquitting four of the 21 accused pained them unspeakably.
“There is no word to describe our grief over this verdict,” Ananta Kumar Das, father of Bishwajit, told journalists.
They urged the authorities concerned to uphold the earlier judgment.Court’s observationAnnouncing the judgement, the High Court bench said: “Nowadays, we notice that the glorious history of student politics has seriously been stigmatised by some of the derailed youths who have got involved in criminal activities such as extortions, arms and drug trading, murder and violence.
“Some political leaders patronise these youths. Even, we see the youths beat their teachers as the latter do not let them follow unfair means in public examinations. Also, some of them who are involved in politics are seen forcing general students to take part in political activities with them.”
The court said it was the duty of national leaders to address these problems and authorities at educational institutions should adopt policy to stop such practice.