FAMILIES of the seven people abducted and killed in Narayanganj and Narsingdi wait for justice even 12 years after the incidents. This stands as an unambiguous indictment of the justice system. The crime shocked the nation. A sitting city councillor, a lawyer and others were abducted and murdered and their bodies were discarded into a river. What made the case more disturbing is that personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite law enforcement unit, came to be implicated. Findings show that some battalion officials carried out the abduction and killing in exchange for money, striking at the heart of public trust in institutions meant to uphold the law. While the trial court and the High Court delivered verdicts in 2017, the appeals have been pending with the Appellate Division for long seven years. While justice delayed, as the saying goes, is justice denied, in cases of such gravity, delay becomes the second injustice that prolongs grief and erodes confidence in the rule of law. The absence of closure has not only deepened the sufferings of families but also cast a long shadow over the credibility of the justice system.
The concern becomes far more acute when the accused are from the ranks of the law enforcement agencies. These institutions derive their legitimacy from public trust, discipline and adherence to the law. When some of their personnel stand accused of committing heinous crimes, the expectations are that accountability will be expeditious, transparent and exemplary. Instead, the protracted delay in the disposal of these appeals has fuelled perceptions of impunity and possible political or executive interference. Rights activists and families of the victims have openly questioned whether the involvement of ranking officials, some allegedly linked to the fallen Awami League, contributed to the inertia during the Awami League regime. The case was briefly taken up for hearing in October-November 2025, but proceedings were adjourned. There has been no progress since then. The perceptions centring the delay are damaging. They not only undermine faith in the justice delivery system but also tarnish the image of the agencies concerned and, by extension, the country. This reputational damage has already manifested internationally, most notably in the sanctions imposed by the United States in December 2021 on the Rapid Action Battalion and several of its officials over serious rights violations. These developments underscore how domestic failures in justice can reverberate globally.
The government and the judiciary should, therefore, act with urgency and resolve. Expediting the hearing and disposal of the long-pending appeals is a moral imperative. Delivering justice, fairly and without delay, would offer some solace to the victims’ families and reaffirm the principle that no individual, regardless of position, is above the law. It would also send out a signal that misconduct within the law enforcement agencies will not be shielded by power or influence.
