The High Court on Wednesday began hearing the death reference and appeals filed by eight convicts in the murder case of retired Major Sinha Md Rashed Khan, who was shot dead at a police checkpoint in Cox鈥檚 Bazar in 2020.
A bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md Sagir Hossain initiated proceedings with deputy attorney general Shamima Sultana Dipti reading from the paperbook.
The hearing was adjourned until Thursday morning.
The case centres on the killing of Sinha, a former Bangladesh Army officer who took early retirement in November 2018 to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking.
He was fatally shot on July 31, 2020 by the police at a checkpoint on the Cox鈥檚 Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive while returning from a shoot with his cameraman, Shahadul Islam Sefat.
The Cox鈥檚 Bazar District and Sessions Judge Court on January 31, 2022 sentenced to death Pradeep Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of the Teknaf police at the time of the murder, and Md Liyakat Ali, inspector and Baharchhara police investigation centre in-charge at the time of the incident.
The two had initially claimed the killing was the result of a police shootout. The claim was later proved false.
The court also handed life sentences to six others鈥攖hen Teknaf police sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, and three locals鈥擭urul Amin, Nizam Uddin and Ayas Uddin.
Seven others were acquitted as the charges against them could not be substantiated.
Major Sinha鈥檚 killing sparked a nationwide outcry, prompting calls for police reform and accountability in law enforcement.
According to the prosecution, the High Court鈥檚 review of the verdict is seen as a crucial test of the judiciary鈥檚 role in upholding justice in cases involving extrajudicial killings.