The much-talked-about Rayhan Uddin murder case in Sylhet has moved one step closer to its conclusion, as the court held a further hearing on Wednesday afternoon. The hearing took place in the Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, in the presence of the case’s lone detained accused, dismissed ASI Asheq Elahi.
During the session, Judge Munshi Abdul Majid listened to statements from the accused and his lawyer, while also seeking clarifications from the plaintiff’s legal team on several key matters. The court has fixed 21 January for the next hearing.
Confirming the development, plaintiff’s lawyer Barrister Fazal Chowdhury said, “Wednesday was not scheduled for the verdict. The court called for further hearing, asked for explanations on various points, and we have clarified everything in detail.”
He added that because the case involves a large number of witnesses and significant evidence, the court is reviewing every detail with deep scrutiny.
Court sources said arguments of the detained accused, dismissed ASI Asheq Elahi, concluded on 30 November, while arguments of the five absconding accused were completed earlier on 26 November. Although some accused are out on bail, several remain on the run.
The case’s prime accused, dismissed SI Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan, was granted bail by the High Court on 10 August but later had it suspended by the Chamber Judge, who ordered him to surrender within 10 days. He never appeared before the court, and there are widespread allegations that he has fled abroad.
Among the others accused, former SI Hasan Uddin has been absconding from the beginning. Former constables Titu Chandra Das and Harunur Rashid also went missing after appearing in court once post-bail. Abdullah Al Noman from Companiganj has reportedly escaped overseas with his family and has yet to be arrested.
It may be recalled that on the night of 10 October 2020, Rayhan Uddin was reportedly tortured at the Bandar Bazar police outpost in Sylhet. He was later taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital the next morning, where doctors declared him dead. An internal police probe later confirmed the torture allegations.
After the incident, police claimed that Rayhan Uddin had been rescued in a severely beaten condition after allegedly attempting a mugging in the city’s Kastghar area. According to them, he died because locals beat him up over the robbery allegation.
However, later investigations and information provided by his family revealed that Rayhan had actually been detained at the Bandar Bazar police outpost under a false accusation, where officers demanded a bribe of 10,000 taka from his family. When the money was not paid, then in-charge SI Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan and his team subjected Rayhan to brutal torture. CCTV footage from the police outpost and other evidence confirmed that Rayhan did not die from mob beating — he died due to torture in police custody.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a charge sheet on 5 May 2021, accusing six people. Trial proceedings began on 30 September 2022. Testimonies of 63 out of 69 witnesses have already been recorded, and after four long years, the case now stands at the doorstep of a verdict.
Once the ongoing further hearing concludes, the court may announce the long-awaited verdict at any time.