HC receives death reference of 2 Sinha murder convicts

The High Court on Tuesday received the death reference of former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police investigation centre in-charge inspector Md Liyakat Ali, who have been sentenced to death for the murder of retired major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan.

Supreme Court special officer Mohammad Saifur Rahman told reporters that the reference would be placed before the chief justice seeking his consent to prepare a paper-book on a priority basis for hearing of the death reference.

Sinha, who took early retirement from the Bangladesh Army in November 2018, was killed while he was returning to Cox’s Bazar town on July 31, 2020 after filming for a documentary with his cameraperson Shahadul Islam Sefat.

Pradeep-Liaquat duo initially branded the killing as a shootout with police on the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive — an 80km seaside scenic patch that turned notorious for gunfights at night.

The murder of Sinha triggered widespread protests among the society, including the members of former army officers.

The Cox’s Bazar Sessions Judge Court on January 31 sentenced Pradeep and Liaquat to death, six others to life-term imprisonment and acquitted seven in the case over the murder of Sinha.

The six life-term recipients are the then Teknaf police station sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev and villagers Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin and Ayas Uddin.