The High Court on Monday upheld the death sentences of two convicts while commuting the capital punishment of four others to life imprisonment in the murder case of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi in Feni's Sonagazi upazila.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja pronounced the verdict after hearing the death references and appeals stemming from the lower court's ruling.

The court maintained the death penalty for SM Siraj-ud-Daula, the expelled principal of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa, and Shahadat Hossain alias Shamim.

Meanwhile, the sentences for Nur Uddin, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Jobayer, Jabed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain, and Umme Sultana alias Popy were commuted from death to life imprisonment.

The High Court acquitted the remaining 10 individuals after finding the charges against them unproven.

Those acquitted are Maqsood Alam alias Moksud, a former Sonagazi municipality Awami League general secretary and councillor; Hafez Abdul Quader; Absar Uddin; Kamrun Nahar Moni; Abdur Rahim Sharif; Iftekhar Uddin Rana; Imran Hossain alias Mamun; Ruhul Amin, former Sonagazi Upazila Awami League president and madrasa vice-president; Mohiuddin Shakil; and Mohammad Shamim.

The appellate decision modifies an earlier ruling by the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on October 24, 2019, which had sentenced all 16 accused to death and fined each BDT 1 lakh.

The case originated on March 27, 2019, when Nusrat's mother, Shirin Akhter, filed a sexual harassment case against then-principal Siraj-ud-Daula, leading to his arrest. Prosecution records show that Siraj's supporters met him in jail on April 3 and devised a plan on April 4 to murder Nusrat at her madrasa.

On April 6, 2019, while attending her Alim examinations, Nusrat was lured to the roof of a cyclone shelter at the madrasa. When she refused to withdraw the sexual harassment charges against the principal, the perpetrators poured kerosene over her and set her on fire.

Nusrat was initially rushed to Sonagazi Upazila Health Complex and later moved to Feni General Hospital. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on April 10, 2019.

Her brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman, filed the murder case on April 8. Police submitted the charge sheet on May 28, and charges were formally framed on June 20, leading to the trial court's original judgment after hearing 87 prosecution witnesses.