The High Court on Monday upheld the death sentences for former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara outpost in-charge Md Liakat Ali for the 2020 murder of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan in the tourism district of Cox鈥檚 Bazar.
The bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md Sagir Hossain also upheld the life imprisonment of six other convicts 鈥� sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, and three civilians 鈥� Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin, and Ayas Uddin.
But the High Court rejected a plea by Sinha鈥檚 sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, seeking death sentences for the six convicts as well. It also declined to overturn the acquittals of the remaining seven accused cleared by the trial court.
The verdict came as the court accepted the death references of Pradeep and Liakat and turned down the appeals of all the eight convicts challenging their convictions and the sentences handed down by the Cox鈥檚 Bazar District and Sessions Judge Court on January 31, 2022.
鈥榃e still have a long way to go, including the Appellate Division鈥檚 verdict,鈥� said Sinha鈥檚 sister.
鈥榃e will only be truly satisfied if the Appellate Division upholds this verdict and it is duly executed,鈥� she added.
Sinha鈥檚 sister also expressed dissatisfaction that then Cox鈥檚 Bazar superintendent of police ABM Masud Hossain Masun was not brought to justice despite his alleged direct or indirect involvement in the killing as a superior officer.
Although SP Masud was named in the charge sheet, he was not formally charged with murder. The investigation officer concluded that the evidence warranted only departmental action against him, not criminal prosecution.
Several leaders of the Retired Armed Forces Officers鈥� Welfare Association, who accompanied Sinha鈥檚 sister during the press briefing at the court premises, welcomed the verdict and urged the government to ensure its execution after all legal avenues are exhausted.
Major Sinha, who had taken an early retirement from the Bangladesh Army in 2018 to pursue documentary filmmaking, was returning from a shoot with his cameraman Shahidul Islam Sefat when he was shot to death at a police checkpoint at Cox鈥檚 Bazar鈥揟eknaf Marine Drive on July 31, 2020.
The trial court earlier found that the killing was premeditated, rejecting the police鈥檚 initial claim that Sinha had died in a gunfight 鈥� a version later disproved by investigators.
During the appeal hearings, senior lawyer Munsurul Haque Chowdhury, representing Pradeep, sought his acquittal, arguing that his client had no prior knowledge of the incident and was implicated solely based on co-accused Liakat鈥檚 confession, which he claimed was recorded during an unlawful third phase of police remand.
Similarly, senior lawyer SM Shajahan, representing Liakat, requested the commutation of his client鈥檚 death sentence to life imprisonment.
Both defence lawyers told 抖阴精品 that Pradeep and Liakat intend to file appeals against the verdict.
The defence lawyers for the remaining six convicts said they would also appeal the verdict, seeking full acquittals for their clients.
Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman expressed satisfaction over the verdict stating that it was necessary to end impunity for extrajudicial killings disguised as crossfire deaths.
The attorney general said that Sinha was shot twice after stepping out of his vehicle, followed by two more shots.
鈥楬is death was confirmed by pressing a boot on his throat,鈥� he added, describing the killing as cold-blooded and an act that shocked the nation.
He said that major Sinha鈥檚 killing sparked a nationwide outcry, prompting calls for police reform and accountability in law enforcement.