In a significant development, Dhaka Special Judge Court-3, headed by Judge Muhammed Ali Hossain, has slated February 20 as the much-anticipated date for announcing the verdict in the Sagira Morshed murder case, a high-profile incident dating back to 1989. Advocate Faruk Ahmed, the representative of the plaintiff, confirmed the court’s decision.
The accused in this prolonged case include Dr. Hasan Ali Chowdhury (71), Sagira’s brother-in-law, his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda alias Shahin (65), Mahmud Rezwan (60), Maruf Reza (60), and Mantu Mandal alias Mintu.
As the trial unfolds, Mahmud and Maruf find themselves behind bars, while the others remain on bail. Sagira Morshed met her tragic end on Shiddeshwari Road in Dhaka on July 25, 1989, as she attempted to pick up her daughter from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, attempted to rob her gold bangle, eventually resorting to a fatal shooting as she tried to escape.
Originally filed by Sagira’s husband, Salam Chowdhury, at Ramna police station, the case underwent a significant transformation with a chargesheet against Mantu submitted on January 17, 1991. Subsequent High Court orders transferred the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).
PBI’s meticulous investigation unraveled a complex family feud behind the apparent mugging. On January 15, 2020, Inspector Rafiqul Islam of PBI Dhaka (South) Metropolitan submitted a new chargesheet. The case took a startling turn on November 13, 2020, when Dr. Hasan and his wife Shahin confessed to their involvement in Sagira’s murder before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain.
In the wake of these revelations, PBI apprehended Dr. Hasan upon his return from abroad, presenting him before the magistrate’s court. This marks a crucial phase in the investigation into a murder that has spanned over three decades, with the verdict expected to provide closure to the long-pending Sagira Morshed case.
