Child born in jail steps free as mother released in Nusrat murder case

Eight Acquitted in Nusrat Murder Case Leave Gazipur Prisons

Thebangladaily.com – Eight people acquitted in the Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case have walked free from two prisons in Gazipur after the required court documents were processed and verified. Among them was Kamrun Nahar Mani, who left Kashimpur Women’s Central Prison with her seven-year-old daughter, Mobasshera, ending a life that had begun entirely inside a correctional facility.

The releases took place on Tuesday, September 15, following the formal completion of procedures connected to the High Court’s ruling in the widely discussed Sonagazi Madrasa student murder case. Relatives gathered outside the prison gates with flowers to welcome those who had been released.

Seven Men Released From High-Security Prison

Senior Jail Super Abdullah Al Mamun said seven male inmates were released one after another from Kashimpur High Security Central Prison during the afternoon after authorities checked their legal paperwork.

The men released were Md. Shamim, Hafez Abdul Kader, Mohiuddin Shakil, Afsar Uddin, Imran Hossain Mamun, Iftekhar Uddin Rana and Abdur Rahim Sharif. Their departure marked the implementation of the court’s acquittal orders after years of incarceration linked to one of Bangladesh’s most prominent criminal cases.

At the same time, Mani was freed from Kashimpur Women’s Central Prison. Her daughter, Mobasshera, accompanied her outside, experiencing the world beyond prison walls for the first time.

A Child’s First Day Beyond Prison Walls

Mani was seven months pregnant when she was arrested in 2019 in connection with the burning of Nusrat on the roof of a madrasa in Sonagazi, Feni. She later gave birth while in custody, meaning Mobasshera’s entire childhood until Tuesday had unfolded within the prison environment.

Outside the facility, Mani spoke about caring for and educating her daughter while imprisoned. She said she had taught the child school lessons as well as religious scriptures, while also trying to prepare her for a future beyond custody.

“I taught her academics and religious scriptures, and made a schoolbag from cloth to prepare her for life outside,” Mani said.

Her release has drawn attention not only because of the legal case surrounding it, but also because of the unusual circumstances of a child leaving prison for the first time at the age of seven. Mobasshera’s experience reflects the personal consequences that can extend far beyond the courtroom in long-running criminal proceedings.

High Court Decision Reshaped Earlier Verdict

The prison releases came after a High Court verdict delivered on August 24 by a bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice K M Rasheduzzaman Raja. The ruling reviewed the punishments imposed in the case and changed the legal outcome for several of the accused.

The High Court maintained death sentences for two people: former principal S M Siraj-ud-Daula and Shahadat Hossain Shamim. Four other death sentences were reduced to life imprisonment. Ten people were acquitted from the group of 16 individuals who had originally received death penalties from the trial court.

The court’s decision therefore did not end all punishment in the case, but it substantially altered the outcomes delivered at trial. The release of the eight individuals from Gazipur prisons followed the acquittals and completion of the administrative process required to enforce the judicial orders.

Case Remains a Major Public Reference Point

The murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi became a major national case because of its severity and the circumstances surrounding the attack. Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Madrasa in Feni, was set on fire on the institution’s roof in 2019. The case led to the arrest and prosecution of multiple people and remained under public attention through the trial and subsequent appeals process.

The legal proceedings involved a large number of defendants, producing a complex series of outcomes. The original trial court sentenced 16 people to death. The High Court’s later decision divided those outcomes into separate categories: two death sentences remained in place, four were converted to life terms, and ten defendants were acquitted.

For the families waiting outside the prisons, Tuesday’s releases represented the conclusion of one part of that lengthy process. The arrivals of relatives carrying flowers gave the moment a personal dimension beyond the court documents and prison procedures.

For Mani and Mobasshera, the day carried an additional significance. A mother who entered custody while pregnant left with the daughter she raised there. Their departure from Kashimpur Women’s Central Prison marked the beginning of a new chapter after years shaped by confinement, legal uncertainty and separation from ordinary life outside the prison gates.