Two get life in Sagira Morshed murder case, 3 acquitted
photo: Collected
A court sentenced two people to life term imprisonment and acquitted three accused in the case for killing Sagira Morshed in the capital's Siddheshwari three decades ago.
Dhaka Special Sessions Judge Mohammad Ali Hossain announced the verdict on Wednesday (March 13).
The convicts are Anas Mahmood alias Rezwan and Maruf Reza. At the same time, the court fined each of them Tk. 50 thousand. Charges against the brother-in -law (Vashur) of Sagira were not proved. The court acquitted Vashur Dr. Hasan Ali Chowdhury and his wife Syedatul Mahmuda alias Shaheen.
Before this, the verdict was announced in the court of Dhaka Special Sessions Judge Mohammad Ali Hossain on February 20. But as the judge was on leave on that day, Acting Judge of the court Aktaruzzaman set March 13 as the day to announce the verdict.
Earlier, on January 25, the special session judge of Dhaka, Mohammad Ali Hossain, after presenting the arguments of the prosecution and the defendants, fixed February 8 as the date for announcing the verdict. But as the verdict was not ready on that day, the judge delayed the announcement and fixed February 20.
Sagira Morshed was shot dead on July 25, 1989. Maruf Reza and Anas Mahmud were accused in the case filed by Sagira's husband.
On December 12, the five accused in the case defended themselves and claimed their innocence and prayed for justice.
The accused are - Dr. Sagira Morshed’s Vasur. Dr. Hasan Ali Chowdhury, Ja Syedatul Mahmuda alias Shaheen, brother-in-law Anas Mahmud Rezwan, Maruf Reza and Montu Mandal.
The court accepted the testimony of 17 out of 57 witnesses in the case. On December 2, 2020, the accused were charged and ordered to start trial.
On the afternoon of 25 July 1989, Sagira Morshed was shot dead in front of the Viqarunnisa Noon School in Siddheshwari. In that incident, her husband Salam Chowdhury filed a case against unknown persons at Ramna police station.
On January 16, 2019, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Police Inspector Rafiqul Islam submitted the charge sheet to the court.
According to the charge sheet, Sagira Morshed lived with her family in a house on Outer Circular Road. Sagira Morshed lived on the second floor. Vasur of Sagira lived with his wife Syedatul Mahmuda Shaheen on the third floor of that house. Shaheen often used to throw garbage from the third floor, which fell on Sagira Morshed's back kitchen and front porch. Shaheen almost quarreled with Sagira about this. For that trivial reason, Shaheen Sagira's husband Dr. Hasan, his patient, hired Maruf Reza, a terrorist of Siddheshwari area, for Tk. 25 thousand. On July 25, 1989, Sagira Morshed was shot dead in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School in Siddheswari.
