Rajshahi, First Published Apr 12, 2022, 2:53 PM IST
Shegufta Tabassum Ahmed was a first-year law student when her father died. She never intended to go to court or argue. Instead he wanted to do other work related to it. However, the death of her father and the easy bail of the accused left her paralyzed. With this she began to study law seriously. As a lawyer, he went to court and argued. For sixteen long years he tried to bring to justice those who had killed his father. Now she has finally succeeded in it. The court sentenced the main accused to death and the others to life imprisonment.
Tahir Ahmed went missing on February 1, 2006. He was a professor at Rajshahi University in Bangladesh. Two days later, his body was found in a ditch in front of the house. The day after the body was found, Tahar’s son Sanjid Alvi lodged a case with the police. On March 17, 2006, the police filed a chargesheet against six accused in connection with the murder.
Tahir’s colleague Mia Muhammad Mohiuddin, Mahbubul Alam Salihi, then president of an organization at Rajshahi University, Jahar, Thaher’s residence caretaker, Abdul Salam, Jahangir’s brother, their father Azimuddin, and Salam’s cousin Nasamul.
Her daughter Shegupta was a first-year law student at Brock University when Tahir was killed. Reluctant to practice as a lawyer, she decided to become a lawyer and avenge her father’s murder after the main accused in her father’s murder was released on bail. “My father enrolled me in law in 2006. But I did not intend to practice law. If you study law, you can work in other fields. You can teach, work in companies, give legal advice to various international organizations. I wanted to do something like that. She told Business Standard.
But for 16 long years after the assassination, Shegupta went to court to seek justice for his father. The mother and brother had to go to court in Rajshahi after the case went to a fast-track tribunal. “My mother is an ordinary housewife who has never stepped foot in a court of law. It was a difficult experience for my mother since she was a witness. However, despite all this, my mother went to court and was granted bail by the High Court. That is when I decided to handle my father’s case myself,” she said. .
“Although this is a criminal case and this case is under the state, we had the opportunity to hire lawyers, but we did not have the capacity to do that. When the defendants hired 15 to 20 lawyers, on the other hand, some lawyers came forward to help us with their good intentions,” she added. Jahangir, Nasmul and Salam testified during the trial that Mia had instigated the killing of Tahar, but Mia denied the allegations, and the police investigation found that Mia had applied for a promotion at the university.
However, Tahar was also on the committee that scrutinized their application. It is said that some of Mia’s lies were pointed out to the Tahar panel and the allegations were later proved in the investigation. It was out of this animosity that Mia Tahar’s assassination was planned. When no one was home, they killed Tahar and dumped his body in a manhole. Finally, on May 13, 2013, the High Court sentenced Miya and Jahangir to death and sentenced Salam and Nazmul to life imprisonment. The defendants then approached the Supreme Court questioning the order.
The case lasted for 16 years. Despite graduating, Shegupta was unable to focus on his career. Because she was behind this case. Finally, on April 5, 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s sentence and sentenced two defendants to death and the other two to life imprisonment. “I fought for it for 16 years. He experienced a lot of grief and suffering. I am just happy with the decision, “said Shegupta. She has demanded that the verdict be implemented immediately. Shegupta added that his goal now is to serve the people through his legal career.
Last Updated Apr 12, 2022, 2:53 PM IST