Sylhet: A Sylhet court on Monday started hearing a case filed against suspended Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Badrul Alam for stabbing college girl Khadiza Akter on 3 October.

Mohammad Saifuzzaman, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate started the hearing at about 11:30am.

Zedan Al Musa, additional deputy commissioner (media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP), said 21 among 36 witnesses in the case were called for giving their statement.

Earlier on 29November, the court indicted Badrul Alam, a suspended leader of BCL’s Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) unit, in the case.

On 15 November, Sylhet Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Umme Saraban Tahura accepted the charge sheet against Badrul in the case.

Khadiza Akhter Nargis, 23, daughter of Mashuk Miah of Biswanath upazila and a student of Sylhet Govt Women’s College, was stabbed repeatedly by Badrul on her way home from college on 3 October. Badrul hacked Khadiza mercilessly after she reportedly rejected his offer to have an affair with him.

Hearing the victim’s screams, locals rescued Khadiza and caught Badrul from the spot and handed him over to police after giving him a good thrashing.

Khadiza was taken to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital from where she was moved to Dhaka as her condition deteriorated.

Now she is undergoing treatment at Savar Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) hospital.

On 5 October, Badrul Alam confessed to hacking Khadiza in his statement he made under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc).

Police submitted chargesheet against the lone accused Badrul on 8 November.