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The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has scheduled hearings in three long-pending, high-profile murder cases, raising hopes for progress towards their final judicial resolution.
Hearings in the Narayanganj seven-murder case will begin on 17 November, followed by the appeal hearing in the murder of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad on 24 November and the Major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case on 1 December.
Appellate Division Chamber Judge Justice Md Rezaul Haque fixed the dates on Sunday. Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal took part in the proceedings.
The three cases have drawn sustained public attention because of the gravity of the crimes, the people involved and the lengthy judicial process following the initial verdicts.
The attorney general said special initiatives had been taken to expedite the hearings and expressed hope that the cases would be disposed of soon.
N’ganj seven-murder case
The Narayanganj seven-murder case remains one of the most prominent criminal cases in Bangladesh’s recent history. On 27 April 2014, seven people, including then panel mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker, were abducted and killed. Their bodies were later recovered from the Shitalakkhya River.
The killings triggered widespread outrage and allegations of abuse of power involving members of law enforcement agencies. The involvement of senior officers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) drew intense scrutiny over the role of law enforcement personnel in the crime.
A Narayanganj court sentenced 26 people to death in January 2017, while several others received prison terms. In August 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of 15 convicts, including former RAB-11 commanding officer Lt Col (retd) Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and local Awami League leader Nur Hossain. It commuted the death sentences of 11 others to life imprisonment and upheld life sentences for nine other accused.
The case has remained pending before the Appellate Division for final resolution.
Abrar Fahad murder case
The second case concerns the killing of Abrar Fahad, a BUET student whose death on 7 October 2019 triggered nationwide protests.
Abrar, a second-year student in the university’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering department, was beaten to death by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists at Sher-e-Bangla Hall during the Awami League government’s tenure.
A Dhaka court sentenced 20 accused to death and five others to life imprisonment in December 2021. The High Court subsequently reviewed the convictions and sentences.
The hearing scheduled for 24 November will mark a further step in the proceedings before the Appellate Division.
Major Sinha murder case
The third case concerns the killing of retired army major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan, who was shot dead at a police checkpost in Shamlapur under Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar on 31 July 2020.
A trial court sentenced former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge (OC) Pradeep Kumar Das and former inspector at the Baharchhara investigation centre Liaquat Ali to death. Other accused received different sentences.
On 2 June 2025, the High Court upheld the death sentences of Pradeep and Liaquat.
The hearings scheduled across November and December mark further steps in the three cases, which have drawn significant public attention and scrutiny of law enforcement accountability and the justice system.