The incident took place at Feni Women and Children Repression Tribunal. Shirin was later taken to Feni National Heart Foundation Hospital.
Advocate M Shahjahan Saju said Shirin Akhter frequently broke down in tears while testifying before the court. She was wailing after seeing murder suspects – Sonagazi Fazil Madrasa Principal Sirajuddoula and Kamrunnahar Moni and Umme Sultana Popy.
She lost consciousness in the dock around 2:30pm, he added.
The court started recording the testimony of Nusrat’s elder brother Mahmudul Haque Noman, also the case’s plaintiff, on June 27. Later, the testimonies of Nusrat’s classmates, madrasa staff and others were recorded.
PBI Inspector Md Shah Alam submitted the charge sheet against 16 persons at Feni's Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain’s court on June 10.
The accused are – Sirajuddoula, Awami League leader Ruhul Amin, Sonagazi municipality Councillor Maksud Alam alias Moksud, Absar Uddin, Mohammad Shamim, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Nur Uddin, Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Imran Hossain Mamun, Hafez Abdul Quader, Kamrunnahar Moni, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobair, Javed, Umme Sultana Popy, Mohiuddin Shakil and Abdur Rahim Sharif.
Nusrat had accused the principal of sexually harassing her. She was set on fire at an examination centre in Sonagazi upazila on April 6, allegedly by people loyal to Sirajuddoula. She died on April 10 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.