Mitford Trader Murder Trial Delayed Over Court No-Confidence Motion

The trial involving the brutal murder of a scrap trader outside Mitford Hospital has taken a significant legal turn as a key accused expressed a formal motion of no confidence against the trial court. Consequently, the cross-examination of witnesses has been deferred, with the court scheduling 27 July 2026 as the next date for the hearing.

On Sunday, 19 July 2026, the accused, Mahmudul Hasan Mahin, filed the no-confidence plea against the court of Dhaka 1st Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Md Alamgir. His defence counsel, Mashrur Hossain, moved a petition seeking an adjournment of the witness testimony phase, which the court subsequently granted. Ziaul Haque, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, confirmed the operational details of the postponement.

Explaining the rationale behind the dramatic legal manoeuvre, defence lawyer Mashrur Hossain stated that he represents seven of the accused in this high-profile case. On 12 July, the date previously fixed for the framing of charges, torrential rain prevented his timely appearance in court. Instead of granting a single-day adjournment to allow the defence to present its arguments, the court proceeded to formally frame the charges against the accused. Hossain asserted that his clients no longer believe they will receive a impartial trial in this specific courtroom. A formal petition challeging the court’s jurisdiction has been filed with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, with a hearing scheduled for 22 July.

The investigation, which has gripped the capital due to its violent nature, names 21 individuals in the final charge sheet. The legal status and breakdown of the accused involved in the proceedings are detailed below.

The murder occurred on the afternoon of 9 July 2025, just outside Gate 3 of Mitford Hospital. The victim, Sohag alias Lal Chand, who operated a business dealing in scrap metal and old electrical cables, was bludgeoned to death with heavy concrete blocks. Graphic mobile phone and CCTV footage of the assault circulated widely on social media platforms, triggering massive public outrage and putting pressure on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly.

Local residents and police records indicate that many of the attackers, including the suspected masterminds behind the homicide, were well known to the victim. Several of the co-conspirators had previously worked alongside Sohag as business partners. Detectives believe the killing was the direct culmination of a fierce dispute over the financial control of the local scrap trade.

Following the murder, the victim’s elder sister, Manjuara Begum, filed a formal case at the Kotwali Police Station. The path to the trial has been complicated by institutional delays. Although an initial charge sheet was submitted, the investigating officer subsequently requested a further probe, citing technical flaws and evidentiary loopholes in the initial documentation. The court approved this request on 20 January, ordering a fresh investigation.

Following a change in the investigating personnel, Inspector Shah Md Faisal Ahmed of Kotwali Police Station took charge of the file. He concluded the thorough reinvestigation and filed a comprehensive charge sheet against the 21 accused on 10 May. The Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate subsequently transferred the case to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court on 21 June to initiate the formal trial, which now faces further delays owing to the pending no-confidence application.