The High Court has upheld the death sentences of former Teknaf OC Pradeep Kumar Das and Inspector Mohammad Liakat Ali in the widely discussed murder case of retired Army Major Mohammad Rashed Khan Sinha. The court also maintained life imprisonment for six other accused.
The verdict was delivered Thursday by a bench comprising Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md. Sagir Hossain. The convicts now have 30 days to appeal the High Court ruling.
Earlier, on June 2, the High Court had confirmed the death penalties for Pradeep and Liakat, along with life sentences for six others, while maintaining fines of 50,000 taka for each convict. The life-imprisoned defendants include former Teknaf SI Nanddulal Rakhit, Constable Rubel Sharma, Sagar Dev, and residents of Baharchhara village, Cox’s Bazar—Md. Nurul Amin, Mohammad Aiyaz, and Md. Nizam Uddin.
The case stems from the killing of Major (Retd.) Sinha on the night of July 31, 2020, at Shamlapur Toll Plaza on the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive. Sinha was shot by Inspector Liakat Ali of the Baharchhara Investigation Centre. Five days later, on August 5, 2020, Sinha’s sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed the case. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet on December 13, 2020, naming 15 individuals and describing the murder as “premeditated.”
On January 31, 2022, the Cox’s Bazar District and Sessions Judge sentenced OC Pradeep and Inspector Liakat to death, while other defendants received life imprisonment. Seven accused were acquitted. The death references were later sent to the High Court for confirmation, leading to the current verdict, with appeals filed by the convicts in custody.