District Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mamunur Rashid handed down the verdict ending the trial in 62 workdays.
The convicts are madrasah principal SM Sirajuddoula, ex-Awami League upazila unit president Ruhul Amin, Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Nur Uddin, Imran Hossain Mamun, Hafez Abdul Quader, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Councillor Maksud Alam alias Moksud, Kamrunnahar Moni, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobair, Javed, Umme Sultana Popy, Mohiuddin Shakil, Mohammad Shamim, Abdur Rahim Sharif and Absar Uddin.
The tribunal also fined them Tk 1 lakh each.
Witnesses said all the 16 convicts of the murder case were seen smiling when they were being brought to the court premises on Thursday morning. Even they greeted people waving hands while getting down the prison van.
But all of them, including madrasah principal Shirajuddoula, broke down into tears while being taken to the prison back after the pronouncement of the verdict.
When Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Mamunur Rashid was pronouncing the verdict, the convicts started screaming and crying loudly.
Claiming themselves to be innocent, they said Nusrat committed suicide they have been trapped and deprived of justice.
Kamrun Nahar Moni, one of the convicts, who gave birth to a child on September 28. She was present on the dock along with the newborn.
A little bit of chaos was created on the court premises when the convicts were being brought back to jail as some of their relatives were crying and shouting claiming their near ones are innocent.
But police forcefully removed them from their way.
Also read: Feni madrasa girl Rafi loses battle for life
How Nusrat was murdered
Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Madrasa, was set on fire on April 6 on the roof of a madrasah she attended, allegedly by people loyal to Sirajuddoula whom she had accused of sexually harassing her.
Also read: Principal Sirajuddoula ‘confesses’ to ordering Nusrat murder
She succumbed to her injuries four days later at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
A case was filed at Sonagazi Police Station on April 8. Police pressed charges in court against 16 people on May 29.
Twelve of the accused reportedly confessed to their involvement in the killing of Nusrat.
On May 10, Moazzem Hossain, the then officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Model Police Station, was suspended in connection with the murder.
He was accused of unlawfully interrogating Nusrat and recording it on phone. A video of the interrogation went viral on the social media, prompting a lawyer to file a case against him on April 15 under the Digital Security Act.
Also read: Nusrat Murder: Court accepts charges against 16
Reaction to verdict
About the verdict, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the verdict delivered in the murder case is a milestone.
“Necessary steps will be taken to place the appeal and death references at the High Court bench concerned,” he told reporters at his office, expressing satisfaction over the verdict.
Besides, Awami League general secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obidul Quader expressed satisfaction over the swift announcement of the verdict.
“I express satisfaction over the verdict,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, Shirin Akther, mother of NusratJahan Rafi, urged the authorities concerned to execute it quickly.
“I would like to thank Hounourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Alhamdulillah, I’m so happy with the verdict,” she told reporters at the court premises.
Shirin Akther also thanked media, administration and people for supporting her in having the verdict so quickly.