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NARAYANGANJ, Apr 26: Twelve years on, Narayanganj remains scarred by the notorious "seven murders" case.
Despite lower court verdicts nine years ago and a High Court ruling eight years ago, the appeals process has stalled, leaving families of the victims in despair.
On 27 April 2014, Panel Mayor Nazrul Islam, his associates Moniruzzaman Swapan, Tajul Islam, Sirajul Islam Liton, and driver Jahangir Alam were abducted on the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road. Senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and his driver Ibrahim were also taken after filming the incident. Days later, their bodies-bound with bricks and bearing signs of brutal killing-surfaced in the Shitalakshya River. The killings shocked the nation, especially after revelations that senior RAB officers and local political figures were involved.
Two cases were filed by Nazrul's wife Selina Islam Beauty and Chandan Sarkar's son in law Bijoy Kumar Pal. In January 2017, a Narayanganj court sentenced 26 people, including former councillor Nur Hossain and three RAB officers, to death. The High Court upheld 15 of those death sentences in 2018, but appeals remain unresolved.
Families say the delay has deepened their suffering. Tajul's father Abul Khayer said: "It has been more than a decade, but we live in despair every day." Jahangir's widow Shamsunnahar Akter Nupur recalled being pregnant when her husband was killed: "My daughter is now 11. She has never seen her father's face."
Selina Islam Beauty, who brought one of the cases, said: "We thought the verdict would be implemented quickly. But 12 years have passed without progress. We live in fear and uncertainty."
The case has long carried political overtones. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia once promised families that justice would be prioritised if her party returned to power. Today, relatives say they look to her son, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, to deliver on that pledge.
