Thirteen years after tailor shop worker Biswajit Das was hacked to death in broad daylight in Old Dhaka, his family continues to wait for justice as the case remains pending at the High Court.
“We have not yet received justice for the murder of our son. The previous government left without concluding the trial, and this government has not done it either,” Biswajit’s father Ananta Das said.
“If justice has not been served even after 13 years, when will it be? My son was hacked to death in front of everyone. I want to see the trial concluded quickly,” he said, appealing to the authorities through journalists.
Biswajit was murdered on December 9, 2012, in front of Bahadur Shah Park (Victoria Park) in Old Dhaka during a BNP-led 18-party blockade. A resident of Shariatpur, he ran a tailor shop in Shankhari Bazar and lived with his elder brother in Laxmi Bazar, near the spot of the killing.
Biswajit’s elder brother Uttam Das echoed the call for justice.
“Our only demand has always been a speedy trial,” he said. “I once thought justice would come with a change of government. But one and a half years have passed and there is still no progress. Even so, we continue to demand a quick conclusion to the case.”
Recalling the tragedy, he added: “I brought my younger brother to Dhaka in my arms, and then he was killed. There is no pain greater than this.”
Case history
Following the murder, Sutrapur police Sub-Inspector Jalal Ahmed filed a case against 25 unidentified individuals. After three months of investigation, Detective Branch Inspector Tajul Islam submitted a charge sheet on March 5, 2013, accusing 21 people.
Trial proceedings began on June 2, 2013, at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court. On December 18 of that year, the court sentenced eight of the accused to death and 13 others to life imprisonment.
In a later ruling on August 6, 2017, the High Court upheld the death sentences of two convicts, commuted the death sentences of four others to life imprisonment, and acquitted the remaining two. The High Court also acquitted two of the 13 life-term convicts.
Of the original death-row convicts, Rafiqul Islam alias Shakil and Rajan Talukder had their death sentences upheld. Saiful Islam and Qayyum Mia were acquitted. Among those whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment were Mahfuzur Rahman alias Nahid, Rasheduzzaman alias Shaon, Imdadul Haque, and Noor Alam alias Limon. HM Kibria and Golam Mostafa, originally sentenced to life imprisonment, were also acquitted by the High Court.
The case is currently pending disposal on appeal.
State view
Deputy Attorney General Noor Muhammad Azmi acknowledged the family’s frustration, saying many high-profile cases remain unresolved even after verdicts are delivered.
“This is often a time-consuming judicial process,” he said. “However, the government is aware of the importance of these sensational cases and has taken initiatives to expedite them from the Appellate Division.”
He added that the government aims to quickly conclude several widely discussed cases, including the murders of Abrar Fahad, Nusrat, and the Narayanganj seven killings.
