Court Reporter:

The High Court on Monday upheld the death sentences of two convicts in the widely discussed Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case in Sonagazi, Feni, while sentencing four others to life imprisonment and acquitting 10.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja delivered the verdict on 24 August.

The case relates to the murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a madrasah student from Sonagazi whose death in 2019 sparked widespread outrage across Bangladesh and renewed calls for stronger action against violence against women.

The High Court’s ruling maintains the capital punishment imposed on the two principal convicts, while four others will serve life terms.

The court also acquitted 10 accused in the case.

Nusrat murder case

Nusrat was set on fire at the Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasah in Feni on 6 April 2019, after she had refused to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint against the institution’s then-principal.

She died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on 10 April, four days after sustaining severe burn injuries.

The killing triggered protests and widespread public anger across the country, with demands for swift justice for Nusrat and stronger measures against violence and sexual harassment.

The trial court in Feni sentenced 16 accused to death in October 2019. The High Court later began hearing the death references and appeals in the case.