The High Court directs the government to appoint the state defence counsel for five absconding death-row convicts of the sensational Narayanganj seven-murder cases.

A Narayanganj courtroom was made off limits to journalists as the recording of witness testimonies began in the seven-murder trial yesterday. Referring to a “court directive”, the public prosecutor and counsels for the accused said journalists cannot attend the proceedings. Police then asked the newsmen to leave the courtroom.

A Narayanganj court yesterday expressed discontent when it had to adjourn proceedings of the 2014 sensational seven-murder cases, as police failed to produce Tareque Sayeed Mohammad, a key accused.