A Dhaka court on Monday deferred a hearing on charge framing till November 26 against four accused in connection with the killing of Sagira Morshed in the capital 30 years ago.
Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order on Monday after defence lawyers submitted separate petitions seeking adjournment of the hearing earlier in the day.
On March 9, a court took the charges into cognisance against four accused over the murder of housewife Sagira Morshed Salam who was killed 30 years ago in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka.
Earlier on January 16, PBI Inspector M Rafiqul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet in the murder case.
The named accused in the charge-sheet are victim’s brother-in-law (husband’s elder brother) Dr Hasan Ali Chowdhury, 70, his wife Sayedatul Mahmuda Shaheen, 64, Shaheen's brother Anas Mahmud Rezwan, 59, and a hired killer Maruf Reza, 59.
The arrestees also filed separate petitions to withdraw their confessional statement that they had given earlier before a court over their involvement in the killing, said Jotirmoy Barua.
Sagira was shot dead in broad daylight on July 25, 1989, in the capital's Bailey Road area when she was going to Vikarunnesa School by a rickshaw to fetch her daughter.
Sagira’s husband Abdus Salam Chowdhury filed a murder case against some unknown people with Ramna police station the same day. But the trial proceedings of the case remained stayed for 28 years following a High Court order.
Finally, the PBI got the task to investigate the murder on July 17 last as an HC bench ordered further investigation vacating the stay order.
nh/teb
